The Red Ranger of Rivendell
by crzychigurl343
Summary: 10th Walker and Legomance. Mirima is both a ranger and an elf who has a destiny to fulfill and the only way to do so is to help the Fellowship destroy the ring. Nothing brings two people together like saving Middle Earth and why should it be any different between Legolas and Mirima?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello Everyone Who May Possibly Be Reading This! **

**I have a few things I would like to say before you start reading my fanfic.**

**My OC, Mirima, is going to look a lot like the elf from the new Hobbit movie, Tauriel, and I want to say that Mirima was not inspired by Tauriel nor did I try to model my character after her. I actually thought up Mirima about a year ago. Everything from her image to her skill set to her story. So, if there is any possible overlap it was just a big, maybe not happy, coincidence. The main reason I am posting this story up before I would like to is because I want to get it out before the movie premieres and no one believes me. **

**Also, I would like to say that this is a purely Legomance story. There will be no love triangle between Mirima, Legolas, and anyone else. She will be close to Aragorn but their relationship is purely a friendship/sibling bond. **

**Thirdly, I will have multiple chapters leading up to the events of the LOTR which will give my OC background information as to how she will figure into the War of the Ring and establish relationships. **

**I will ****mainly** be following the movie-verse but I have done extensive research on LOTR wiki for background information and minute details to make my story and characters seem authentic outside of reading the books. I was extremely impressed with how detailed the Tolkein universe really is and I am so thankful for the LOTR wiki which explains fully it in comprehensive terms. 

**If you have any questions about certain characters, albiet if they were real or not, just ask me or copy and paste the name to the LOTR wiki although I will admit that there is one name specifically that I took from a real character and placed it on a fake one. Other then that I had made sure that if the characters are real than their background was authentic in relation to others.**

**Last and certainly not least, I must say that I do not own Lord of the Rings and all the characters, places, and events which belongs to this universe. I only own the OCs like Mirima.**

**With all of that in mind...Please enjoy my fanfic! **

**Luv, **

**crzychigurl343**

**P.S. I forgot to mention that when the elves are speaking Sindarin then the sentence will be in_ italics_. However, Westron will be written normally although I will make sure I mention it in the text either way. **

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Chapter 1

Lord Erestor was an elf with raven black hair, stone gray eyes, and looked every bit like his father, Lord Maglor, who was the greatest bard of Ñoldor and the second son of the deceased High King Fëanor. He was also just as stoic as Lord Maglor. Another well-known trait that Lord Erestor possessed was his analytical eye which helped him assess any situation to gain a more favorable outcome. It was this trait specifically and the fact that Lord Erestor grew up with Lord Elrond and his brother Elros, whom were under the guardianship of Lord Maglor, which led to the great friendship between Lord Erestor and Lord Elrond. The two fought together in the War of the Last Alliance and when Lord Elrond became leader of Rivendell, Lord Erestor followed to become his most trusted counselor. Upon one of their many visitations to Lothlórien, both men happened to fall in love. Lord Elrond with the Lady Celebrían and Lord Erestor with the Lady Míriel.

Lady Míriel was the niece to the Lady Galadriel, cousin to the Lady Celebrían, daughter to Lord Angrod, and thus part of the Golden House of Finarfin. Naturally, Lady Míriel had golden blonde hair and bright sapphire blue eyes which accompanied being a descendent of Finarfin, the current High King of Ñoldor in Valinor. While she was no beauty of legend like the Lady Galadriel, Lady Míriel was considered more beautiful than most other elves just like her cousin Lady Celebrían. But what made Lady Míriel extraordinary was her intuition and ability to empathize with anyone she meets. It was with this ability she was able to demurely weave a web of control over the political debates occurring at Lothlórien and captured the attention of both Lord Elrond and Lord Erestor. Lord Elrond wanted her to become another counselor of his whilst Lord Erestor was enamored with her intelligence for she was one of the few women he has met who was able to participate in elven politics and not be detrimental to it either. Lady Míriel, likewise, had fallen in love with Lord Erestor's rather gentle temperament. While he was a great and reputable warrior, he was also a great lover of nature and was seen quite often sitting in a pasture, resting in tranquil peace with the surrounding animals lying beside him.

Soon enough, Lord Erestor and Lady Míriel were married, living in Rivendell, and working side-by-side as counselors to Lord Elrond. Rivendell seemed to flourish as Lord Elrond and Lady Celebrían gave birth to their three children: Elladan, Elrohir, and Arwen. Lord Erestor and Lady Míriel also had a child of their own, a daughter named Mirima.

Mirima very much resembled her ancestors and the various houses of Ñoldorian elves she was a part of. She had dark red hair which marked her as a descendent of Fëanor but with blue eyes that came from the Golden House of Finarfin. Mirima was always a happy and curious elfling, running around and examining everything she has found which was new to her. Of course, this trait of hers led Mirima into all kinds of trouble only a young elfling could get into. For today, this curiosity would reveal her destiny in one of the most unusual ways.

Her crimson hair was swinging back and forth in its single braid around her shoulders as the youngling elfling ran around the capital of Lórien: Lothlórien. Mirima wore red linen stockings, cream tunic underneath a silk black sleeveless pellote, leather belt which held the pellote close to her lithe frame, and light weight woven clothed boots on her feet. This was the complete opposite of her friend and distant cousin, Arwen, who was wearing a corseted red dress and who stuck dutifully to her mother's side. Mirima was dressed differently for the simple fact that her parents knew she was going to run off and ruin her dress if she was wearing something similar to Arwen. So, they were trying to limit the damage Mirima would inflict on her clothing otherwise and save her dresses for nicer events where they will do their best to rein her in.

Mirima wove in and out of the crowd of elves walking peacefully around the city, her blue eyes roving all over and taking in the various buildings, stalls, hidden groves and grottos. Her goal was to explore every inch of the capital before she had to leave and go back home, having no clue as to why her family and Lord Elrond's were in Lothlórien at the moment. However, Mirima was not paying attention to where she was going; only allowing her innate curiosity to drive her in whichever direction. Soon enough, she had skidded to a halt in a beautifully secluded grotto with only one other elf in the clearing and that was the magnificent Lady Galadriel who was standing over a stone alter that Mirima could not see over thanks to her adolescent height.

"_My, my, a child filled with such thirst for knowledge at such a young age is quite rare. Come closer, I wish to see what shall happen when you gaze upon my mirror._" Lady Galadriel beckoned to the stunned elfling in Sinadrin even though both knew Quenyan due to their Ñoldorian roots. Mirima barely heard what Lady Galadriel said to her because she was struck by this legendary elf's beauty at the moment.

Lady Galadriel was always breathlessly beautiful in Mirima's opinion since the elfling had first met the Lady of the Wood earlier yesterday morning and every moment afterwards when their paths crossed. But at this moment, with the sun flittering through the trees, Lady Galadriel's hair was set a glow in the most ethereal way as the hues of gold and silver were highlighted and accented her eyes that were on a whole new color level of blue compared to Mirima's ones. Those intense blue eyes seemed to pierce Mirima and ensnared the coppered haired elfling, entrancing her into stumbling forward unconsciously. Mirima didn't notice this until her little dainty hand was clasped in Lady Galadriel's soft one.

Unexpectedly, Mirima was lifted into the air by the legendary elf until she was at eye level with her and then Mirima was turned slightly to see that the stone alter was actually a basin filled with clear water. This immediately captured Mirima's attention away from Lady Galadriel as she tilted her head to the side in thought before leaning in slightly. She was trying to figure out what was so special about the water since there was this resonance throughout her body as she continued to peer at the water, a surge of power that told Mirima that there was more to this water, especially in contact with Lady Galadriel who was also pulsating with power. This power was slightly different from the one coming from the water basin but the pulses of power were slowly becoming in sync.

'_Touch the water once with your finger,'_ Lady Galadriel's voice cut through Mirima's concentration and resonated within her mind. Mirima then turned her analytical eyes towards Lady Galadriel and her display of power for it was something that Mirima had never experienced before. Lady Galadriel allowed Mirima to stare openly at her and, from the light in Lady Galadriel's eyes and the tilt of her smile, Mirima guessed the Lady of the Wood was amused with the elfling. Mirima was thinking of disobeying the order to see what would happen, how Lady Galadriel would react, but then she heard the Lady's voice once more.

'_Little one, sometimes you should not act upon your curiosity and now is one of those times. Now touch the water with your finger.'_ Lady Galadriel warned and there was this undercurrent of authority in her tone that made Mirima shiver in intimidation. The copper-haired elfling then did as she was told by skimming her forefinger across the water to create ripples.

But Mirima's fear evaporated immediately upon seeing the water's image of the bottom of the basin warp into an entirely different image of a white tree that was in full bloom. The white flowers that this tree grew were beautiful in its purity before something horrible began to happen. The flowers began to shrivel up and die with the tree beginning to do the same as the seasons sped through time in the background of this tree. It seemed like thousands of years went by and the great white tree became worse with each passing season. Then, all of a sudden, time seemed to stop and the great white tree regenerated right before the two elves' eyes. This time the great white tree seemed to be healthier than before when Mirima first saw it. The great white tree was stronger and the flowers were an even purer white if that were possible. After the great white tree was in full bloom once more, time seemed to start again and at its regular pace in Mirima's opinion. But after she noticed this the image of the great white tree faded and she was once more looking at the bottom of the stone basin through clear and calm water.

Mirima turned once more to look at the Lady Galadriel and, this time, the Lady of the Wood was not amused. Instead, Lady Galadriel was surprised and troubled about what she saw. Or at least, that is what the elfling thought from practice in deciphering her father's stoic expressions so she was able to read most elves' expressions now. The two stood there in silence for a few more moments in which Mirima stared up at Lady Galadriel in curiosity and Lady Galadriel stared back but was more contemplative than curious although Mirima could have sworn that she saw the latter emotion flicker across the wizened she-elf's face briefly.

"_It seems, Little One, that the fate of Men rests with you._" Lady Galadriel finally said something when Mirima began to fidget in her arms underneath her stare for so long. Mirima was going to ask her what she meant but Lady Galadriel silenced her with one look that reminded Mirima of when Lady Galadriel had scolded her previously. So, Mirima silently was carried back to her parents by Lady Galadriel and had to endure the shocked stares of everyone who saw her being held by Lady Galadriel for some unknown reason. The worst came with the expressions Mirima's parents conveyed when Lady Galadriel walked into the suite Mirima's family was occupying during their stay in Lothlórien.

"_Mirima? My Lady? Please, do not think me rude when I ask this but what has happened?_" Lady Míriel asked after she got over her initial shock of staring at Mirima in Lady Galadriel's arm with wide-eyes and slack jaw. Lord Erestor simply clenched his jaw and his pupils dilated as well as widening a fraction but Lady Míriel and Mirima knew that this was his look of surprise. Mirima almost thought of burying her head into Lady Galadriel's neck to hide from her parents' stares but she knew that she should not.

"_Do not fret, my niece. I have simply seen this child's destiny and it is very serious. I need to speak to you both and Lord Elrond about what I have just witnessed. Is there anyone you can leave the child with so that she cannot run off again?_" Lady Galadriel explained and then questioned, alarming Mirima's parents further with her rather simple statement about what had just occurred in the grotto with the stone basin.

"_Of course, Anira should be in the other room._" Lord Erestor finally spoke as Lady Míriel walked over to Lady Galadriel and took her daughter into her arms, gently squeezing the elfling to provide the comfort/support Mirima was craving for at the moment because she was too curious and scared about what was going on. The group then left the public room of their suite to drop Mirima off with Anira in the little elfling's bedroom.

Anira was, at this moment, Mirima's certified nanny whenever Lord Erestor and Lady Míriel requested it despite the fact that Anira was technically the wife to the overseer of their home back in Rivendell, whose name is Haradion. Anira had platinum blonde hair, soothing brown eyes, and a presence about her that exuded maternal affection despite having no elflings of her own thus far which was why she was anointed the unofficial nanny of Mirima whenever Lord Erestor and Lady Míriel were both too busy to take care of their daughter. At the moment when Lady Galadriel, Lord Erestor, and Lady Míriel walked in, Anira was busy cleaning the room; specifically she was remaking the bed.

"_My Lord and Ladies,_" Anira greeted with a low and respectful curtsy upon their entrance of the rather airy room for there was four fully grown elves in the space and yet there was still plenty of room for maneuverability.

"_Anira, please make sure that Mirima does not run off again until Lady Míriel and I return._" Lord Erestor spoke and Anira simply curtsied once more in acceptance before Lady Míriel handed over the still silent Mirima. Her parents both gave her one last fleeting look before they filed out of the room behind Lady Galadriel, probably in the search of finding Lord Elrond next. It wouldn't be until the door officially closed that Anira said anything.

"_What trouble have you gotten yourself into now, child?_" Anira sighed as she looked at Mirima who shrugged in response.

"_I do not know. I simply did as Lady Galadriel instructed me to do. What is a man, Anira?_" Mirima explained and then asked herself as she thought about Lady Galadriel's words now that she was no longer under the harsh stares of her parents.

"_A man is a male human of Middle Earth._" Anira responded but she gave Mirima an inquisitive look as to her previous statement in regards to if Mirima wasn't in trouble then why should she be under close supervision and what does any of this have to do with the Lady Galadriel and men.

"_What do they look like? Do they look like us?_" Mirima continued to question and ignored Anira's look in favor of sating her own curiosity because Mirima has never seen a human before. In fact, she has never seen anything other than fellow elves and the animals that run around in the gardens of her home which was right beside Lord Elrond's famous gardens and palace in Rivendell or the animals she has seen in Lothlórien thus far.

"_There are some similarities between humans and elves._" Anira answered and realized that she wasn't going to get her own answers from the elfling now that Mirima has focused in on a new topic. Anira had thought this as she sat Mirima on a chair before going back to work in cleaning up the elfling's luxurious room. Naturally, Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn would have provided servants to do this task but Anira thought it would be more suitable if it was just she who cleaned the private rooms of Lord Erestor, Lady Míriel, and Lady Mirima. She was a lowly servant before getting married to Haradion and every now and then she would help the other servants in the palace clean up the place when she could. The other servants provided here in Lothlórien could perform their jobs by cleaning the rest of the living suite.

"_What are similarities? And what are the similarities between elves and humans?_" Mirima once more asked the questions on her mind. This was actually quite the usual conversation between anyone who has talked to the young copper-haired elfling. They would say something and she would respond with a question of her own so that she could understand them better and she could learn a new word along with the previous statement. Anira just hoped the little girl would soon learn all of these words so that she could stop responding with a question and actually hold a proper conversation with Anira at least. It was tiring to answer questions all day, every day. That was Anira's only complaint about that daughter of Lord Erestor and Lady Míriel. Well, that and Mirima's ability to run off without a trace before coming back with her clothes either ruined or extremely dirty along with herself of course.

"_A similarity occurs when two things have something in common. Elves and men for example have similar looks in that we have common body shapes, hair color, or eye color. The differences, as I know you will ask, are that elves are generally considered to be more beautiful and wise compared to men as well as the fact that we tend to live longer lives than they do._" Anira replied and inserted another answer to a question she absolutely knew that Mirima was going to ask as soon as Anira had finished answering her previous question.

"_What does wise mean and why do we live longer than they do if we look so alike?_" Mirima, of course, had another question ready to be asked even though Anira did in fact answer one of her other questions before she could voice it.

"_Wise means knowledgeable through life-experience and I do not know why humans do not live as long as we do. It is just how Eru created them._" Anira sighed at the end for Mirima's questions always seemed to become more difficult to answer as the conversation progressed because Mirima, unknowingly, always asks rather ambiguous questions that not many but the wisest of the wise could possibly have the answers to.

"_Oh, do you think humans know why? Am I ever going to meet one, Anira?_" Mirima riddled off her next questions which made Anira sigh once more, relieved that there was no more hard questions in store for her for now at least.

"_I do not know if humans know why their life span is shorter than ours and you will probably meet one when you are older._" Anira replied. Mirima continued to ask her questions about humans and what Anira knew about them for the rest of the night whilst her parents, Lord Elrond, Lady Galadriel, and Lord Celeborn were busy discussing what Lady Galadriel had just seen. Particularly they were debating about the meaning of the Great White Tree of Gondor.

"_It is true that, ever since Isildur's death, the line of Elendil has declined. But will it really fall so far that it will need an elf to restore it?_" Lady Míriel questioned as she stood beside her stoic husband in the same secluded grotto that contained Lady Galadriel's magical water mirror. Lord Celeborn and Lord Elrond stood across from them whilst Lady Galadriel's eyes seemed to be locked on the basin of water as if seeing Mirima's destiny once more.

"_The destinies of men and elves have been interwoven before now._" Lord Elrond spoke as both he and Lord Erestor seemed deep in thought about the different possible interpretations of what the Lady Galadriel and Mirima had seen which was quite unsettling for not only the young elfling's parents but also for Lord Elrond who viewed Mirima as his own flesh and blood niece.

"_I fear it may be more serious than that._" Lord Celeborn stated and the elves from Rivendell turned their gazes and attention on him, silently asking for him to continue.

"_The fate of men resides with the line of Elendil, with its demise men will fall as well._" Lord Celeborn replied but did not do much to enlighten Lord Elrond, Lord Erestor, and Lady Míriel as to why he found Mirima's destiny to be more serious than the fact that she was tied to the throne of Gondor in some inexplicable way.

"_Mirima will either lead men to their end or she will help create a new age in which men will have full command of Middle Earth. This is what I have seen._" Lady Galadriel finally spoke and transferred the attention from Lord Celeborn to her.

"_She will not know fully about this destiny of hers. She is too young and it will influence her future decisions. Mirima will live a normal life in ignorance of her destiny until the time is right._" Lord Erestor announced after a brief few moments of silence that engulfed the three elves from Rivendell as Lady Galadriel's words sunk in for them all. After Lord Erestor spoke, silence once more engulfed the group in the secluded grotto but for an entirely different reason.

They all knew about the tragic fates of the Sons of Fëanor for their great destinies had either killed them or drove them into darkness where they were no longer allowed to sail to Valinor in the case of Lord Maedhros and Lord Maglor, Lord Erestor's own father. Lord Maedhros had committed suicide when faced with seemingly eternity on Middle Earth whilst Lord Maglor raised his family and roamed the lands of Middle Earth once his children were full grown and his wife had sailed to Valinor without him. Lord Maglor then died in the fight against Sauron, protecting his sons from suffering at the hands of evil and allowing them the chance to live full lives. Because of Lord Maglor's last actions, Lord Erestor and Lord Elrond held the fallen Ñoldorian in high esteem but also as an example of how quickly the fates could turn on them should they fixate themselves on the future and their parts in it which is why Lord Erestor would be so adamant on keeping his precious daughter ignorant of her recently revealed destiny and the possible ramifications. As a father, Lord Erestor naturally felt the fierce feeling of protectiveness upon imagining his Mirima falling into the same disgrace as his father.

The Lady Míriel and Lord Elrond felt exactly the same way as Lord Erestor in regards of protecting Mirima. The Lord and Lady of the Wood understood their feelings but they also knew that with as great of a destiny as the one Mirima had it was going to be near impossible to stop it from occurring. However, the Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel kept these thoughts to themselves to see how the future will unfold before them and how Mirima will truly figure into the fate of Men on Middle Earth.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello Fellow Fanfiction Readers, **

**I have a shout out to the two people who have left me a review since, for some odd reason, my computer does not like the PM program on Fanfiction at the moment. **

**REDRydingHood****: Thank you for the lovely review and I hope this next chapter meets you expectations! **

**YellowDaisies: Your comment made me blush with how much praise you gave me! I am so glad that you like my back story and that you thought I was adhering to the Tolkien universe faithfully! To tell you the truth, I am not a big fan of the whole "dropped into Middle Earth from our reality" type of stories. I believe that if you truly love the universe and do the research, one can make an awesome fanfic with an OC from Middle Earth. But, that's just me and I have heard that a few of those stories are actually pretty good. So, I am not trying to belittle anyone who has written one of those stories. Either way, thank you for the amazing review and I hope you like this chapter as much as you did the first one. **

**Thank you also to all who have put this story under alert and/or favorites despite not leaving me a comment. I know this means that you are still interested and I hope I can keep your interest! **

**My disclaimer is in Chapter 1 so please don't go thinking that I own any characters other than my OCs. That would get me into some serious trouble and I am a broke college student who cannot afford said trouble. **

**In the end, please enjoy! **

**Luv, **

**crzychigurl343**

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Chapter 2

That day had passed and, slowly, Mirima allowed the memory to be stored in the back of her mind along with the questions she naturally had about Lady Galadriel's words and what she discussed with Mirima's parents. Every couple of decades or so after that night, Mirima would ask her parents about it, but Lord Erestor remained steadfastly mute on the subject whilst Lady Míriel had told Mirima that when the copper-haired elfling was older, then she would finally understand Lady Galadriel's words. But it seemed that day never really came in which Mirima had an actual conversation with her parents about what she had come to understand about that memory specifically. Mirima eventually stopped asking after 500 years of rejection for a legitimate answer from her parents but that didn't mean she forgot like Lord Erestor and Lady Míriel probably thought she did.

No, Mirima would forever remember that day. She would remember the way Lady Galadriel greeted her, the radiating power between Lady Galadriel and her stone alter, the image of a great white tree dying before being reborn anew, and Lady Galadriel's reactions. Mirima would even remember her parents' and Lord Elrond's actions towards her after their meeting with Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn. Upon entering Mirima's temporary room, Lady Míriel swept in and hugged the elfling tight to her body, nearly crushing all the air out of Mirima's lungs. All three elves looked stricken by something as Lord Elrond was the next to hug little Mirima before she was handed off to her father who appeared the most distraught upon gazing into her blue eyes that were examining all of their actions with intense scrutiny and curiosity. As soon as she was in Lord Erestor's arms, she could have sworn that she saw guilt, anger, and protectiveness seared into his pebble gray eyes before her head was pushed into her father's chest and he squeezed her even more tightly than her mother did.

After that night, and for the next hundred or so years, Mirima knew she was being watched carefully for some unknown reason. Even now, at almost 1500 years old, Mirima sometimes felt the scrutinizing and protective glances of her parents and Lord Elrond along with Lady Celebrían, whom Mirima wouldn't be surprised if she knew as well about that night from Lord Elrond. But, Mirima did grow up into a young elf-maiden and, with age, came knowledge which would help her partially decipher that memory of hers. Mirima now knew what a 'destiny' was and knew that it was unconventional that hers was tied to human men, the great white tree symbolizing the Kings of Gondor which were now absent from the throne. But, Mirima could not understand what her connection to human men was. She never really connected with any of the men she has met thus far. Whilst she pondered these thoughts every now and then, Mirima's curiosity had never faltered as she grew up and lived her life as a lady in Rivendell.

Mirima was still known for running off to sate her curiosity whenever her mother and Anira couldn't keep her within the palace walls which were home to not only Lord Elrond and his family, but also his counselors, the two palatial homes standing side by side although Lord Elrond's was naturally more spacious than Lord Erestor and Lady Míriel's home. This running off naturally led to Mirima getting into trouble whenever she was late to important events she was supposed to attend such as the greeting of Lord Elrond's guests. Being late led to the embarrassment and, eventual, reprimanding from her parents, the amusement and exasperation of Lord Elrond, Lady Celebrían, and Arwen while Elladan and Elrohir would tease her about it later on. Not wanting to have her privileges of moving about with no escort revoked for probably the tenth time this century, Mirima was surely running through the alleys in the gardens connecting the palatial homes together in the hopes the short cut would get her to the entrance to Lord Elrond's home quicker than the more obvious but congested main path since most elves were lining the street to get a better look at Lord Elrond's guests.

As soon as she saw the backs of her family, and she included Lord Elrond and his family in that statement as well, Mirima smiled widely before she skidded to a halt beside her mother's right side. Lady Míriel had her blonde locks down but brushed back in an amicable fashion that allowed the sun to play with her golden hair as it hung straight down to her hips nearly covering the deep green dress she was wearing. The fashionable green dress hugged Lady Míriel's curves before flaring at the hips in an almost ball gown type fashion from how much volume there was on the bottom of the dress. In front of the dress, one could see golden fabric which opened in a V-shape fashion on her corset before continuing on to the two colored panel skirt. Upon Mirima's entrance, Lady Míriel gave her daughter a parental look which clearly stated that Mirima had just made it in time but Lady Míriel still didn't approve of how close Mirima had cut it in regards to arriving punctually. This same look was mirrored by her husband, Lord Erestor, who was standing on the other side of Lady Míriel. He, also, wore his hair down, but he pulled the front back, similarly to Lord Elrond's hairstyle, and, in regards to clothing, he wore a silver trimmed black velvet jerkin over brown trousers and matching black boots.

Following Lord Erestor was Lord Elrond, whose exasperated look had a hint of amusement in it. Lord Elrond wore brown trousers as well over his brown boots, a light colored robe synched at his waist due to a brown sash, and, over all of this, he wore his elaborate brown robe with reddish gold brocade trimming. His intricate circlet was sitting on top of his head, showing his station even though it really wasn't needed since Lord Elrond truly had the bearing presence of a wise leader. Next to Lord Elrond was Lady Celebrían in her elegantly blue dress with billowy sleeves. Her silvery blonde locks were braided and pulled up into an elaborate bun; she was also wearing an intricate crown. Her blue eyes were crinkled in amusement but she as well looked exasperated much like her daughter who was standing on the other side of her.

Arwen was the picture of ethereal beauty with her raven black hair half-up and half-down like her father and brothers, but she was wearing a reddish gold corset and matching full circle skirt. Her chemise was a plain white and fell off of her shoulders in an elegant and non-revealing way. Arwen had truly grown more and more beautiful with each passing day and was clearly going to be a rival in legendary beauty against her grandmother, Lady Galadriel, and possibly even her great-grandmother, Lady Lúthien. When she looked at Mirima upon her arrival, Arwen's full red lips were twitching in her attempt not to smile in open amusement which was very different from the bright smiles and jovial expressions the twins, Elladan and Elrohir, were directing at Mirima as they stood beside their sister.

Elladan and Elrohir were as identical as any set of twins could be and they were very much their father's sons with raven black hair, piercing grey eyes, and masculine cheekbones on an elf. They even had their hair the same way as their father and wore matching blue jerkins although one was a darker shade than other to give off some semblance of difference between the two. But, while Lord Elrond naturally kept a neutral, border-line somber, expression on his face, the twins were always all smiles and jokes save for when they were battling against orcs. Or, at least, that is what Mirima thought since she has never rode out with the twins or with anyone on an orc raid before despite the fact that she had wished to do so in the past but was prevented because it was "unseemly" for an elf-maiden to do so even though she knew how to properly fight with a bow and arrow like any elf, male or female.

"_And she made it,_" Both Elladan and Elrohir stated in unison and Mirima shot them a rueful smile as she attempted to smooth the front of her own dress. Her hair, which hung just above her hips, was up in a braid and lying across her shoulder. Today, Mirima wore her simple purple dress which hugged her slim torso and petite bust before flaring out slightly at her hips. But, there was beautiful gold trimming all along her dress and there was a large V-shaped slit on the bottom half of her skirt which revealed a white underskirt. Her outfit wasn't the nicest of all of her dresses, but it was nice enough for greeting people and, especially, in comparison to what she was previously wearing before she quickly changed which was a gray tunic over brown trousers covered in hay and blood for the fact that her mare had just given birth to a brand new foal and Mirima was there the whole time to help.

Mirima was about to open her mouth to retort but then stopped herself as she heard the sound of horse hooves on the cobbled street heading straight towards Lord Elrond's home. She simply decided to wink at Elladan and Elrohir before turning to look in the direction of the upcoming guests. There were only two possibilities of who it could be since both parties were supposed to arrive today and Mirima was more curious about one over the other. This is for the fact that Mirima has never visited Mirkwood nor has she met the King and his family where as she has met the Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn multiple times, so it was no surprise she was wondering what the Mirkwood elves looked like and what their personalities were.

Her anticipation was soon to be relieved for the fact that it was the caravan from Mirkwood riding up to them at this exact moment and Mirima let her blue eyes greedily rove over the new elves and how they all wore similar travelling clothes of green cloaks, white tunics under brown leather, sleeveless jerkins, brown trousers, and brown boots. Not to mention that they all had a bow and quiver full of arrows strapped to their backs. Few had some long-bladed knives strapped to their hips. However, her eyes lingered on only one elf more so than the others and that was the elf who was riding on King Thranduil's immediate left.

The king was obvious with his spiked crown and regal presence that Mirima could see from her position next to her mother. The king had long silvery blonde hair which was rather thin compared to most elves Mirima has ever seen, but it suited him for his light blue eyes shone brightly from his sovereign facial structure. The elf who had captured Mirima's interest had similar features which made Mirima curious as to this elf's relation to the king. It was obvious that the king and this elf were kinsmen of a sort but, thanks to the elfish characteristic of agelessness, it was hard to determine if the king and this unknown elf were around the same age, and thus brothers, or if one was older than the other, thus making it a possible father-son relationship. But, if Mirima had to guess, she would say that the unknown elf that had captured her interest was younger than the king because this elf's sky blue eyes, while containing a pool of wisdom like most elves, did not seem to have nearly as deep of a pool as the one residing in the king's eyes. The wisdom bubbling in the king's eyes could only exist with the life experience of living for many millennia like she sees in Lord Elrond, Lady Celebrían, her parents, and any elf their age or older that Mirima just did not see in the unknown elf.

These thoughts flitted through Mirima's mind as she made sure her eyes continued to trail over the whole Mirkwood delegation and not just on her captivating elf. She waited patiently for them to dismount from their horses and walk forward to be greeted by Lord Elrond, his family, his counselors, and Mirima.

"_Welcome, King Thranduil, to Rivendell. I hope your stay will be as enjoyable as the one you gave to Lord Erestor, my sons, and I when the last council was held in your domain._" Lord Elrond stated as he took one step forward.

Both Elven leaders clasped hands with small smiles on their faces for they had not seen each other in 500 years, since the last Elven Council where Lord Elrond, Lady Galadriel, and Lord Celeborn had journeyed to Mirkwood to discuss with King Thranduil about Elven affairs. Almost 1000 years before that, a few centuries after Mirima had learned of her destiny, the meeting took place in Lothlórien under Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn's hospitality. Now, it was Rivendell's turn to host the Elfish council and Mirima couldn't be more excited. Naturally, her curiosity was humming through every fiber of her being at the prospect of witnessing firsthand how the major Elven leaders would interact with one another and what news they will discuss.

"_I highly doubt my experience here in Rivendell, along with the elves I travel with, will be anything less than enjoyable._" King Thranduil replied easily enough as the 4 elves behind him smiled as well to share the same sentiments as their king.

"_Quite high expectations, indeed. However, I assume you remember my sons, the Lords Elladan and Elrohir, as well as my counselor, Lord Erestor._" Lord Elrond continued and motioned with his head in regards to whom he was talking about and King Thranduil nodded, both in agreement that he recognized the three elves and in silent greetings to them which the aforementioned elves responded with, with nods of their own.

"_So, then please allow me to introduce the rest of my family to you. On my left are my beautiful wife and daughter, the Ladies Celebrían and Arwen._" Lord Elrond waved with his hand, now that it was finally released. Lady Celebrían and Arwen both smiled and curtsied on cue to which King Thranduil replied with a small bow of his own.

"_To my right is Lord Erestor's family. His wife, Lady Míriel, is my second counselor and this is their daughter, the Lady Mirima._" Lord Elrond introduced and the two women did the same motions as Lady Celebrían and Arwen, also receiving the same bow from King Thranduil.

"_It is my genuine pleasure to meet you all. Although, my old friend, you did not do any of them justice when you described them to me the last time we meet._" King Thranduil said cordially and Mirima had to resist the urge to roll her eyes or to snort. Not because she doubted that the women of Rivendell, including herself, were indeed beautiful or that it would be difficult to create an accurate portrayal of them to a stranger without exaggerating or forgetting certain aspects, but Mirima had the urge to snort/roll her eyes because it just seemed like an overused sentiment whenever a man met a beautiful woman or a group of them. Mirima did not think King Thranduil insincere, but the words and propriety itself was subject to ridicule in her mind.

"_Thank you for the kind words. But, if you would please, King Thranduil, do us the courtesy of introducing your entourage as well, for not all of us know them as well as my dear Elrond, Lord Erestor, and my sons._" Lady Celebrían responded after all four she-elves curtsied again because of King Thranduil's compliment to them. King Thranduil laughed at this while Mirima did her best to reign in her excitement at the prospect of finally knowing who her captivating elf was.

"_Of course. My apologies, my lady. To my left are my son, Prince Legolas, and his companion, Lord Aldon._" King Thranduil explained and, at each name, the elf it belonged to bowed in greeting. So, Mirima was correct. Her captivating elf was a younger kinsman to King Thranduil, his son no less! She could feel her already smiling lips tugging to turn into a victorious smirk but 1450 years of official tutelage on manners under her parents made it easy for her not to give in to the temptation which probably would confuse anyone who saw it because they would not understand why she was feeling such an emotion upon meeting someone new. Mirima felt that, if she continued to look at Prince Legolas, then she would definitely break from the cordial expression plastered on her face so she, unfortunately, tore her eyes away from Legolas to look at his friend.

Lord Aldon appeared to be seemingly the same age as Prince Legolas and even had some of the same general features of blonde hair and blue eyes. But, Lord Aldon's blonde hair was richer in color, not a pale almost silvery blonde like Prince Legolas', and Lord Aldon's blue eyes were not nearly the same beautiful shade of sky blue as Prince Legolas'. Lord Aldon's blue eyes were a deeper but still bright shade of blue, as if there was a stream flowing through his eyes compared to the clear brilliance of the sky in Prince Legolas' eyes. Like there was something almost pure in Prince Legolas' blue eyes… Now Mirima was back to looking at Prince Legolas and, once more, struggled to look back at Lord Aldon, trying to be discreet in her glances at all so as not to alert her new acquaintances to her curiosity and burning desire to stare at the prince until the end of time.

"_On my right are my own trusted counselor, Lord Emerion, and my marchwarden, Lord Saeldur._" King Thranduil's voice forced Mirima to look away from Prince Legolas because she had to acknowledge the men he introduced through eye contact as they bowed as well.

Both Lord Emerion and Lord Saeldur were dark haired and grey-eyed. Lord Emerion had raven black hair, which was left down, while Lord Saeldur had mahogany brown hair which was pulled back into a low ponytail. Now, these two elves, Mirima could tell, were around the same age as King Thranduil because not only their eyes were filled with same deep pools of wisdom, but they also held themselves in the same regal but stiff posture as her father, King Thranduil, and Lord Elrond did: something she attributed to living through hardships of battle and war.

"_It is an honor to meet you all and to have you as our guests. Gil will take your horses to our stables and Daeron will give you a tour of our home as well as show you to your rooms. Please feel free to ask anything of our servants to make your stay more hospitable._" Lady Celebrían spoke after everyone from the Rivendell welcoming committee bowed/curtsied once more as a greeting of the whole group. Mirima really did hate these cursed pleasantries due to how long-winded and tedious they were in decorum such as bowing/curtsying at everything as well as the fact that she had to keep her eyes averted or forever roaming so as not to appear ogling which was definitely improper.

"_Thank you, my lady._" King Thranduil bowed slightly before he looked at Lord Elrond.

"_I shall call upon you after my men and I have settled in and you are done greeting all of your guests._" He stated and Lord Elrond gave a nod of his head in agreement before the whole group of Mirkwood elves handed the reins to their horses to Gil and two other servants and then left, walking behind the dark haired Daeron, the second elf in charge of running Lord Elrond's palace and right under the overseer, Andaer, who, at the moment, was in the kitchens making sure all of the cooks were preparing an excellent dinner for tonight hence why he left his best men to give the tour to Lord Elrond's illustrious guests. When Mirima was sure that they were far enough away, she let a small breath she didn't realize she was holding.

Unfortunately for her, her family was still close to hear it and gave her a mixture of curious, amused, and expectant looks for her to explain herself. Mirima just gave them a sheepish smile and was thankful that it took a lot for an elf to blush noticeably because, if she was human, she would definitely be bright red instead of the faint dusting of pink on her cheeks. Mirima's response made her entire family give her incredulous looks from the men (her father, Lord Elrond, Elladan, and Elrohir) and knowing looks from the women (her mother, Lady Celebrían, and Arwen). Now, these expressions did not look good from Mirima's perspective but she was saved from anything any of them would have said because, once more, they all heard hooves on the cobbled street which signaled that Lady Galadriel, Lord Celeborn, and their entourage had arrived. And, once more, Mirima had sucked in a deep breath of air before she held it at the sight of the ethereal beauty riding towards her in the form of Lady Galadriel.

She looked exactly the same as she did all those years ago when Mirima first met the Lady of the Wood and learned about her destiny. Lady Galadriel still had the same gold and silver blonde hair that fell in curls to her hips and which captured the light of anything to set her a glow in an entirely surreal way. She still had the same sweeping and commanding blue eyes in the shade that Mirima still hasn't seen anyone possess and Lady Galadriel still had the same powerful aura that held Mirima and anyone around her captive to her command. Even from the closing distance Lady Galadriel was at on her horse, Mirima fell under her power.

Mirima felt her heart pound against her rib cage as she felt herself remember that night when Lady Galadriel revealed her destiny to her. She remembered every minute detail as Lady Galadriel rode her horse closer and closer to where her family and she stood. This happened every time Mirima laid eyes on Lady Galadriel after a long period of time in between visits. It was as if Lady Galadriel's presence triggered it and Mirima was helpless to stop it from overwhelming her until the memory had played itself out. The memory didn't stop until Lady Galadriel, Lord Celeborn, and the two other elves Mirima barely recognized from her previous stays at Lothlórien accompanying them had descended from their horses.

"_My Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel, welcome to Rivendell. May your stay be as enjoyable as it has been in the past even though this time it is not for a social visit._" Lord Elrond greeted them and, on cue, everyone bowed/curtsied to one another.

"_I am sure it will. But, as always, it is a pleasure to see our family no matter the occasion._" Lord Celeborn returned.

"_It is wonderful to see you as well, father._" Lady Celebrían commented with a big grin that showed just how truly happy she was to see her parents again after 200 years since their last social call to Lothlórien. Lord Celeborn then hugged his daughter before moving down to hug his grandchildren as well. He clasped hands with Lord Elrond and Lord Erestor before he hugged Lady Míriel and Mirima.

"_My nieces, it warms my heart as well to see you both so happy like Celebrían and her children._" Lady Galadriel stated once she reached Lady Míriel and Mirima right behind her husband for she, too, exchanged hugs with her family.

"_But not as much as ours to see you again, Aunt._" Lady Míriel replied into the hug before she released the most beautiful woman on Middle Earth.

'_I am also glad to see that your curiosity has not dimmed in the slightest, Little One. It is that curiosity which will lead you directly to your destiny and comfort you when it seems too much to bear, for it will provide you with all the answers you need.' _Lady Galadriel's resounding voice echoed in Mirima's mind as the graceful and wise Lady of the Wood embraced her. Mirima couldn't help the shiver that raced through her for she has never felt or heard Lady Galadriel's voice inside her mind since that night all those years ago. Mirima really wished she knew how Lady Galadriel did that so she could learn how to stop it or to get used to it. But, when Lady Galadriel pulled away, she looked just as serene and amused as ever and Mirima reminded herself that her thoughts were as transparent to Lady Galadriel as if Mirima had blurted them out aloud for everyone to hear.

Mirima then remembered Lady Galadriel's many words of wisdom that night in which Lady Galadriel told her that sometimes it was best not to follow her curiosity. So, Mirima then thought that maybe she was better off not knowing how Lady Galadriel spoke to her through her mind or how to wield that power for herself. She has seen how troubled Lord Elrond has been over the years with the visions he has seen and, with this knowledge, she knew that great psychic powers came at a cost, a cost Mirima wasn't sure she was willing to bear for the slight comfort of not being frightened whenever Lady Galadriel spoke to her through her mind. Plus, with how violated she felt whenever Lady Galadriel did this to her, Mirima never wanted to make someone else feel that way by her actions. No, Mirima was fine without knowing how Lady Galadriel had her powers and how she could possibly have them for herself.

'_A very perceptive decision, Little One. With your curiosity and the knowledge that is abound to come with it, you shall be wiser than even me one day.'_ Lady Galadriel spoke and stunned Mirima stiff now that Lady Galadriel has released her from their brief embrace. Lady Galadriel's smile seemed to have widened a fraction at Mirima's reaction to her words, but she did not say anymore, aloud or mentally.

"_Faeron, please show Lady Galadriel and Lords Celeborn, Tegalad, and Lancaeron to their rooms. Cilmion will take your horses._" Lord Elrond ordered this time and Daeron's younger and, almost, identical brother stepped out to lead the elves from Lórien to the rooms they always occupied whenever they travelled to Rivendell.

Faeron was not Daeron's twin, but it was obvious they were brothers for they sported almost the same facial features with a slight variation of shade in hair color. Daeron's hair was a darker shade of brown compared to Faeron's and Faeron was taller than Daeron. But, to further distinguish the brothers, Daeron always wore red and Faeron always wore green. It was not like they were ordered to do so, but they did it of their own accord so as not to be confused for one another whenever they were not together and, thus, their differences were not as noticeable as they actually are when they stood side-by-side. With one last bow/curtsey amongst them all, Lady Galadriel, Lord Celeborn, and their two companions finally left, allowing Mirima to breathe even though her mind was now racing from the new words Lady Galadriel had spoken to her about her future.

This time, however, it was everyone who let out the breath they were holding for Lady Galadriel had that effect on everyone, including her own daughter and niece. Even the residents of Rivendell, who lined the cobbled street and watched the whole exchange of greetings, released their breaths before they moved onto their normal, daily business. Mirima and her family specifically looked at one another in brief silence before they were back to their normal selves.

"_Erestor, Míriel, we have a lot to discuss._" Lord Elrond stated and gave his wife an affectionate look before he turned on his heel to walk to his study where he did almost all of his official business when alone. Lord Erestor and Lady Míriel bowed/curtsied to Lady Celebrían and her children out of decorum since they were still in the public eye and gave a small nod to Mirima before they, too, left, behind Lord Elrond.

"_Elladan, Elrohir, let Daeron do his job as a tour guide and give Prince Legolas and Lord Aldon sometime to rest before you descend upon them. They will be here for quite some time, so there is no rush to involve them in your mischief._" Lady Celebrían scolded her sons. Elladan looked indignant while Elrohir looked slightly sheepish despite the nonchalant expression he was trying to portray when his mother brought up their "mischief", if one would call it that, because Elladan and Elrohir were well-known for the pranks and trouble they got themselves into to alleviate their boredom.

Now that Prince Legolas and Lord Aldon were here, two young elven men around their age and who were new to Rivendell, Elladan and Elrohir probably saw this as their chance to find some new form of fun. Mirima was almost sorry for what is about to befall Prince Legolas and Lord Aldon and she hoped that King Thranduil had a sense of humor like Lord Elrond and the other fathers of the young elven lords Elladan and Elrohir had managed to involve in their "mischief" as Lady Celebrían put it. Although, Mirima couldn't help the open smirk of amusement on her face as she watched Lady Celebrían scold Elladan and Elrohir while Arwen struggled to hide hers in respect for her brothers.

"_What about Mirima? Why aren't you scolding her as well?_" Elladan returned as he looked directly at Mirima as she didn't hide her amusement from them. She knew it would be an utter failure like Arwen. Lady Celebrían looked over her shoulder to see Mirima standing next to her daughter briefly before she turned back to her sons.

"_Mirima is a good child who doesn't need me reminding her how to behave unlike my two sons who are older than her. For the sake of Illuvatar, behave, my sons._" Lady Celebrían chided them before she, too, left to attend to her duties as the Lady of Rivendell. Lady Celebrían had always been like a third mother to Mirima: the first being her actual mother and the second was her old nanny/governess, Anira. And, unlike Mirima's other mothers, Lady Celebrían saw her as a completely innocent child who could do no wrong and who never ran around at the heels of Elladan and Elrohir to participate in their mischief just like how Lady Celebrían saw Arwen. Except, Arwen was as nice, sweet, and good as Lady Celebrían projected onto her whereas Mirima was notoriously known for joining Elladan and Elrohir in all of their mischief whenever they either deigned to include her or whenever she wanted to join them whether they liked it or not. Lady Míriel and Anira knew this and, thus, scolded Mirima whenever the occasion arises, but not Lady Celebrían. She was ignorant of it to this day hence why Mirima smiled victoriously and winked at the gaping Elladan and Elrohir behind Lady Celebrían's back before she left.

"_When will you two ever learn that Mother is never going to connect Mirima to your pranks?_" Arwen asked with a small tinkle of laughter in her voice alongside the exasperation as Elladan and Elrohir huffed at Mirima. But then, they got the same identical gleam in their eyes as the same thought occurred to them, the gleam that said this was not going to be good for Mirima.

"_Perhaps, then, Mother will connect Mirima to Mirkwood by the way Mirima could not take her eyes off of a certain elf._" Elrohir stated and Mirima groaned because she knew that she had been caught and there was no way that Elladan and Elrohir were ever going to let this go until something else took their attentions away which won't be for quite some time since they had been forbidden to find their new playmates until the morrow since, after dinner, Prince Legolas and Lord Aldon would probably retire early.

"_Let us go, Arwen, quickly before their wagging tongues get them into trouble with not only Lady Celebrían but also with their Mirkwood guests for spreading such nonsense._" Mirima exclaimed as she wound her arm through Arwen's and then dragged her best friend away from the twins. Mirima didn't want to be anywhere near Prince Legolas if the prince should so happen to overhear Elladan and Elrohir teasing her about her actions towards the elf upon first meeting him. Thankfully, Arwen walked with her and did not lag behind or act as if Mirima was truly dragging her away. To anyone looking at them, they appeared as if they decided together to walk and not the last minute decision of one in the attempts to run away from the twins.

"_It is only nonsense if it weren't true, our dear Mirima._" Elladan called out and she cringed for she knew that it truly was only the beginning of the merciless teasing that is about to befall her for however long Prince Legolas plans to stay in Rivendell. Oh, who is she kidding? This teasing will be probably last forever until she does something equally diverting whenever around another elf that has interested her, although, Mirima highly doubted that there will be another elf who has captivated her so thoroughly like Prince Legolas has done in the short time span of seeing and then meeting him.

Despite not having said any words to Prince Legolas or even looking at him for more than a few seconds, Mirima felt as if something had happened. Something amazing, miraculous, and incredible in that simple meeting of Prince Legolas. She didn't know why she felt that way and she didn't know if Prince Legolas felt the same, but what Mirima did know is that she wanted to see him again to know if she would feel the same way again. She didn't know what it was about Prince Legolas that made him so different from everyone else she has ever met, but Mirima couldn't help but feel the urge to be near him. However, Mirima could not act on these feelings due to decorum and the fact that it might even scare Prince Legolas away if she was always constantly around him without his consent like some stalker. Because of this train of thought, she did her best to bury these feelings for her own sake and dignity.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello Again My Fellow FanFiction Readers! **

**Thank you to everyone who has commented and/or put this story under alerts and/or favorites! Your support has really inspired me to keep posting chapters even though I only wanted to get one chapter or two on FanFiction until I completed my story officially. But now I am planning on keep posting at least every week. (It seems that Tuesdays are the best day for me) In the end, I just want to say thank you for all the support I have gotten, it really makes me feel good about my story and where it is heading as well as the character portrayals. **

**Again, I have a few shout-outs to the people who have left me a review…**

**REDRydingHood: I'm glad that you also like my writing style! And thank you for the kind words! **

**EsmeXCarlisle: You're welcome and thank you for the nice review! I hope you continue to love my story! **

**YellowDaisies: I'm glad you like the friendship between Mirima and the twins. You will be seeing it more in this chapter and thank you for saying that you love my writing style again. It means a lot to me that you, and everyone else who has commented on it, that you approve because writing style is so important to the overall tone of a story. At least, it is to me, so I'm so happy that you appreciate it along with everyone else. **

**A side note about this chapter…It is from Legolas' point of view. I really wanted to show his side and his initial impressions on Mirima to really set the foundations for a relationship between them. However, this story will be mainly told from Mirima's POV with little sprinkles of other POVs. This will probably be the only chapter that is told purely from someone else's POV. **

**One last thing for me to say is that the Disclaimer is in Chapter 1. **

**And on that note, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! **

**Luv, **

**crzychigurl343**

* * *

Chapter 3

The Elven Council has been convened at Rivendell for about a month now and Legolas has fallen into an easy routine. Every day he would wake up, get dressed, and meet up with his fellow Mirkwood elves to have breakfast with Lord Elrond, his family, and the delegation from Lothlórien. During breakfast, Legolas would learn when the meeting for the delegations would take place. If it were in the morning, it would be immediately after breakfast and, if it was in the afternoon, then it would be after lunch or whenever one of Lord Elrond's servants came to retrieve Legolas if he did not eat at the same time as Lord Elrond. Other than those meetings, Legolas was left to his own devices of exploring Rivendell and, usually, he was with Aldon, his friend since he was an elfling, and Lord Elrond's twin sons, Elladan and Elrohir.

Legolas remembered the first time he met Elladan and Elrohir 500 years ago at the previous Elven Council at his home in Mirkwood. The twins were as boisterous then as they were now although, at the present, Legolas suspected that Elladan and Elrohir had held back during their time in Mirkwood by how they have acted in their own home. They never pulled a practical joke in Mirkwood and their teasing was more subdued until they had a better feel for the Mirkwood elves. But now that they were in their own home and no longer strangers, Elladan and Elrohir saw no consequence in holding back around Legolas and Aldon. Aldon seemed to enjoy this as he joined in on every joke or laughed whenever one was pulled on him. Legolas, on the other hand, despite being amused as well, could not handle the constant mischief that surrounded the three elves his age and, when he reached his limit, he would seek out a quieter place, normally around the Lady Arwen.

While Lady Arwen was one of the most beautiful elf maidens Legolas has ever beheld, he did not seek out her company with any romantic intention. He went to her because she and her parents were the only ones immune to Elladan and Elrohir's jokes. If she, Lord Elrond, or Lady Celebrían were around, it was a safe notion that Elladan and Elrohir behaved more so than usual. Because Legolas respected Lord Elrond and Lady Celebrían so much, he was easily intimidated by them hence why he tended to act formal and stiff around them. Lady Arwen, on the other hand, was as gentle as she was beautiful. They could hold a pleasant conversation and Legolas did not feel as if Lady Arwen was being so nice to gain Legolas' favor like so many elf maidens from Mirkwood have done before. Lady Arwen seemed to only want to be friends with Legolas which he was grateful for since he was not remotely interested in Lady Arwen romantically. These were the reasons why Lady Arwen was his ideal companion he sought out whenever Elladan, Elrohir, and Aldon were too much for him. Well, there was another, more secret, reason.

That reason was who Lady Arwen was close friends with, the daughter to Lord Elrond's counselors, Lady Mirima. The maiden was an elusive one who seemed to enchant Legolas whenever she was near. Legolas has never seen red hair on any elf he has laid his eyes on before Lady Mirima and it took every fiber in his being not to reach out to touch it every time he sees it. Even when he first met her, he had that desire to unbraid her hair and run his fingers through her burgundy colored locks to see if it really was that color and if it was as soft as it looked.

Legolas would be hit with another wave of desire, this time to touch her skin, when he was at dinner in Lord Elrond's palace later that evening after first meeting her because that was when he noticed how her skin seemed to capture the light no matter where she was or what time of day it is. At the palace doors to Lord Elrond's home, Lady Mirima's skin had the same ethereal glow that most elves did. However, when Legolas saw her skin under candle light during dinner, there seemed to be a different kind of glow surrounding Lady Mirima. It was as if light naturally played against her skin, clinging to her more so than any other elf. It was more subtle than anything else, but it was noticeable and unique only to Lady Mirima in Legolas' lifetime experience. His eyes always seemed to wander over her exposed face, neck, and hands to watch how the light danced across her soft skin. Legolas assumed that it was soft for Lady Mirima's skin looked smoother than silk. But nothing made Legolas' heart race faster than Lady Mirima's blue eyes.

Legolas has never seen the ocean with his own eyes, but from what he has heard, he imagined that it was the same color as Lady Mirima's eyes, the blue color becoming lighter and darker in shade depending on the mood and lighting. If that wasn't beautiful enough, Lady Mirima's eyes reflected the spark of life she had within her; a spark that could consume anyone if they were close enough. Even from the safe distance when Legolas first saw her, he felt as if he was on fire and his lower abdomen tightened in desire. Yet, Legolas wanted to close the distance further to the point that he was face to face with her, lips barely a hair's length apart, so he could memorize said spark, feel it course through him at a more intense rate that came when one was close to a fire. All of these physical urges upon first meeting Lady Mirima overwhelmed Legolas and made him wonder if he would continue to feel this way upon further meetings and he did, despite how elusive Lady Mirima seemed to be.

Lady Mirima certainly knew how to keep herself busy during the day so that Legolas only saw her whenever she was allowed into the Elven Council, which has been two times thus far, when her family shared a meal with Lord Elrond and his family, which happens twice a week, or whenever she spends time with Lady Arwen too. This has happened a total of five times to Legolas' knowledge and, each time, Lady Mirima always had to leave shortly after his appearance for one reason or another.

Every time Legolas was around Lady Mirima, he was engulfed with the same urges as the first time he saw her, the same urges that called for him to be near her and to touch her. And, each time he was in her presence, he felt his curiosity about Lady Mirima, above the physical, grow. He wanted to know more about her, learn everything there was about Lady Mirima. But, he was never given much chance to talk to the elf maiden herself besides the normal pleasantries upon first greeting like propriety dictates and he could only ask Elladan, Elrohir, and Lady Arwen so many questions at a time without making his feelings clear to them. Only Aldon and his father, King Thranduil, were the ones who saw through him and took amusement in Legolas' predicament since it was the first time Legolas has ever taken an interest in a maiden and, yet, he could not pursue her like he wanted to.

"_Good morning, Prince Legolas. I hope you have slept well._" Lady Celebrían greeted him as soon as he entered the dining hall they use to eat their meals in. Elven eyes around the spacious rectangular table bored into him as he then walked towards the empty seat between Aldon and Elrohir.

"_I have, thank you, Lady Celebrían._" Legolas returned with a small nod of his head right before he took his seat. As soon as he sat down, a servant appeared with a plate full of fruit and bread for him to feast on. Soon, another servant appeared to fill his goblet with water. But his attention was on the three empty seats between Lady Arwen and Lord Emerion.

Three empty seats that told him Lady Mirima and her parents were joining them for breakfast this morning which made Legolas excited to see her so soon in the day. Unfortunately, his excitement was dampened by the prospect that the available three seats were far away from where he was seated at the table.

"_Ah, Erestor, I am glad that you and your family could join us this morning._" Lord Elrond greeted the very three elves Legolas was just thinking about and everyone in the room looked over to view them. Lord Erestor looked as stoic as ever while Lady Míriel had a beautiful smile on her face as she walked in on her husband's arm. On Lord Erestor's left was Lady Mirima wearing a dark blue chemise, solid colored gray bodice, and a two colored panel skirt with the top layer being the same gray as the bodice and the bottom layer was black. Her red hair was in its usual braid that was hanging over her right shoulder. The simple look had Legolas' holding his breath until he felt Aldon nudge him underneath the table and give him a taunting look which Legolas returned with a droll gaze to cover up his previous reaction.

"_Sharing a meal with you is always a pleasure, my brother._" Lord Erestor replied monotonously that only his family and Lord Elrond's could see through. With those words, Lord Erestor, Lady Míriel, and their daughter moved to take their seats before receiving their meal in similar fashion to Legolas when he first sat down. After that, everyone launched into their own conversations. Legolas was dragged into a conversation with Aldon, Elladan, and Elrohir while Lady Mirima was talking to Lady Arwen which he discreetly and shamelessly eavesdropped on.

"_How is your mare, Hwesta, adapting to being a mother at her age? She is lactating enough for the foal, I hope._" Lady Arwen stated and Legolas heard Lady Mirima sigh.

"_Hwesta is doing well and, yes, she is lactating enough. But I feel as if this should be the last foal she brings into the world due to health complications. It was so hard for her this time that I fear that she won't be able to do it another time let alone produce enough milk to raise the next foal. My old friend's days are coming to an end and I shall miss her terribly._" Lady Mirima answered and the tone of her voice reflected her sorrow at the prospect of losing her horse. Legolas found this endearing although it wasn't uncommon for one to become attached to their mount. He could remember the first horse he ever had and how sad he was when the horse passed away because he outlived it just like Lady Mirima was with her current horse.

"_Hwesta has given you one and eight foals now. I believe that is enough and I am sure that Hwesta still has a good number of years on her despite not being able to reproduce. What have you decided on naming the foal and what do you think you are going to do with it?_" Lady Arwen comforted her friend and Legolas could tell that Lady Mirima was giving a strained smile in response from the corner of his eyes as he picked the grapes off of its stems on his plate.

"_Yes, that is enough foals for one mare. I am still determining the foal's name but he sure is a handful. I will have to think carefully about who I am going to give the colt to for I am sure that once he grows into a stallion he will be hard to break._" Lady Mirima replied with a wry smile that surprised Legolas because he did not think her capable of such an expression or for a lady like herself to take amusement in the unruliness of horses.

Ladies of her and Lady Arwen's breeding were known to be as gentle and delicate as the flowers they resembled in beauty. Ladies did not like anything that could trample over that delicate disposition. And, yet, here was Lady Mirima sporting a smile that Legolas has only seen on Elladan, Elrohir, and Aldon when they were working on one of their pranks. It was radically different from Legolas' experience with ladies, but he thought it was beguiling on Lady Mirima. He felt his abdomen tighten as he dropped his gaze back to his grapes and turned slightly more towards the conversation between Elladan, Elrohir, Aldon, Lord Elrond, and his father that he had been only half participating in up to this point.

"_I do not understand, Father. Why are we not allowed into the meeting today?_" Elrohir asked politely although it was rather forced through his teeth to prevent himself from either whining or disrespecting his father in front of their guests. Lord Elrond just leveled a patient gaze at his twin sons who were mirroring the same confused and annoyed expressions.

"_Yesterday, King Thranduil, Lord Celeborn, Lady Galadriel, Lady Celebrían and I all agreed that the topic of discussion for today should be kept amongst those who were present at the events. There are things that you do not need to burden yourselves with, my sons, not yet at least. Consider this as more time to entertain our guests and solidify your friendships further for future relations between our home and theirs._" Lord Elrond replied with an added twinkle of amusement in his eyes which told Legolas that the Lord of Rivendell was well aware of how Elladan and Elrohir were entertaining Legolas and Aldon. Even King Thranduil had the same look on his face when Legolas turned to his father.

"_Am I also dismissed from this meeting?_" Legolas simply asked and King Thranduil nodded as well. However, Legolas and Aldon did not miss the glance King Thranduil gave in the direction of Lady Arwen and Lady Mirima who seemed to not be paying any attention to anything on Legolas' side of the table as they conversed with Lady Celebrían, Lord Celeborn, Lady Galadriel, and their counselors. Lord Erestor, Lady Míriel, Lord Emerion, and Lord Saeldur, however, had overheard their conversation by the way they had flicked their gazes over the men but did not join the conversation from the one they were currently pursuing.

Legolas expected Elladan and Elrohir to push the subject more but they remained quiet and shifted topics much to his surprise. For the rest of the meal, Legolas split his attention between maintaining a conversation with the men around him and catching snippets of Lady Mirima's conversation or quick glances at her. It was aggravating to be able to hear her voice and to see her glowing face but not be able to interact at all with her. But Legolas did not betray his emotions, even to Aldon and King Thranduil, as he chatted quietly with them, Elladan, Elrohir, and Lord Elrond. When everyone's breakfast was consumed, the empty plates and trays were removed from the table, no one left until the last person was done. Then, in coordinated fashion, they all stood up in unison.

"_My guests, for those who are attending this day's meeting, it shall be in the sun room for it truly is a beautiful day and I for one would like to enjoy it. For the others who will not be attending our meeting, I hope you feel the same as I and enjoy yourselves in the outdoors. Good day._" Lord Elrond stated with a smile before he stepped away from the table and held his arm out towards his wife as she made her way to him. Without further word, the two left with Lord Celeborn, Lady Galadriel, Lord Erestor, Lady Míriel, King Thranduil, and Lord Emerion paired behind them. Once they had cleared the room, Lord Saeldur stepped forward with a friendly smile for them all.

"_Well, I, for one, am following Lord Elrond's advice. I shall be heading to the archery range and I was wondering if any of you would like to join me._" Lord Saeldur offered and the counselors from Lórien agreed to it immediately. Lord Saeldur then looked to Lady Arwen and Lady Mirima expectantly.

"_Our most sincere apologies, but Lady Mirima and I are going to visit her family's stables so I may consider the possibility of obtaining her new colt._" Lady Arwen replied as she wound her arm through Lady Mirima's. Lady Mirima, on the other hand, gave Lady Arwen one of the most dazzling smiles Legolas has ever seen and her blue eyes shone bright with gratitude, joy, and a subtle hint of surprise at Lady Arwen's reasons for visiting her stables. Lady Arwen returned the smile and the two maidens created a beautiful portrait.

"_Really now? It must be a fine colt indeed for it to receive your consideration when you already have three full grown horses at your disposal._" Elladan interjected and brought their attention onto him and Elrohir.

"_Indeed, Brother,_" Elrohir agreed with a nod of his head and a glint in his eyes as he looked back at Lady Mirima specifically.

"_Would it be too imposing if we were to join you lovely ladies? I know I may be interested in looking at this colt as well._" Elrohir finished and, while Lady Arwen continued to smile at her brothers, Lady Mirima tilted her head a fraction and her eyes squinted for a second although the warm smile never dropped from her beautiful face.

"_If you are truly interested, then you may join us._" Lady Mirima answered with a small nod of her head although she continued to look at Elladan and Elrohir, almost as if she was studying them, but the twins gave nothing away but their triumphant smiles.

"_Prince Legolas, Lord Aldon, would you care to join us in examining this colt or shall you go to the archery range with our other guests?_" Elladan asked as he turned to the only two elves who have yet to declare their plans. As expected, all eyes landed on Aldon and Legolas. Normally, when this happened, Legolas was fine with it due to the fact that he was used to it. But to see Lady Mirima looking at him intently for his answer, Legolas couldn't help the urge that overcame him to fidget and blurt out his answer that he was going to follow Elladan, Elrohir, and Lady Arwen in escorting her to the stables that housed her new colt. How Legolas managed to not do any of those things and remain perfectly composed, the prince would never know. Lord Aldon glanced over at Legolas and then to Lady Mirima discreetly before he answered the twins' question.

"_I do not speak for my prince, but I am also interested in this colt and wish to see it. However, I am not in the mind of acquiring it like our hosts are._" Aldon stated and Lady Arwen smiled gratefully at this while Lady Mirima tilted her head forward in understanding with her own smile tugging at her lips. Once more, Legolas had to restrain himself from doing something improper and most likely embarrassing, this time it was the urge to have his lips be the thing tugging at her lips and not the smile on Lady Mirima's face. When Legolas was sure he had that desire stomped on and contained, he knew that everyone was looking at him solely now.

"_I am in the similar mind set as my companion as long as Lady Mirima will have us._" Legolas replied and looked directly at Lady Mirima whose smile faltered into a softer one as she looked back at him; her captivating blue eyes were smoldering and making Legolas harden with desire. Now it was Lady Mirima's turn to be the center of everyone's attention as they waited for her response to Legolas.

"_It would be an honor and my pleasure to have both you and Lord Aldon visit my family's stables._" Lady Mirima said graciously and humbly before she turned to look at Lady Arwen who was smiling so wide that her white teeth were showing. Upon looking at Lady Arwen, Legolas could have sworn Lady Mirima rolled her eyes, but it was so subtle that Legolas doubted what he saw before the two maidens started walking out of the room, still arm in arm.

"_Please follow us if you will and, Lord Saeldur, I hope you and the others enjoy your time at the archery range._" Lady Arwen exclaimed once she and Lady Mirima stopped at the door to the dining room. After she spoke, Lady Arwen and Lady Mirima then curtsied to the three elves before they once more began to walk away. Elladan, Elrohir, Aldon, and Legolas had no choice but to follow after bowing to Lord Saeldur and the Lothlórien counselors.

"_So, tell us more about this colt of yours._" Elladan started the conversation after the group had turned down the hallway. Lady Arwen smiled at her brother while Lady Mirima arched her eyebrow which was an intriguing reaction in Legolas' opinion.

"_Would you really like to know about my colt or would you simply like to tell me why you really are accompanying Arwen and me._" Lady Mirima replied forcing Legolas and Aldon to glance at each other in surprise about how blunt Lady Mirima was. She must have an extremely close bond to all of Lord Elrond's children to be allowed to respond in such a manner and only receive amused smiles from the three elves that were practically royalty in Rivendell.

"_As observant as ever, Mirima. My brother and I were hoping to follow you and Arwen to your hiding spot to listen in on the Council. We both know the two of you have been doing so for the past month._" Elrohir answered with a laugh that Elladan joined, Lady Arwen remained serene, despite the fact that she was just accused of spying, and Lady Mirima actually smirked wryly once more. Legolas and Aldon once again exchanged surprised glances as they trailed behind the four elves, unsure about how to enter this conversation and debating on whether they should since they didn't have the same camaraderie amongst the four.

"_Unfortunately for you, my brothers, our father is holding this meeting in the sun room. There is no spot for any one of us to hide individually without being seen straight away, let alone in such large numbers as we do now, hence why Mirima and I were truly heading to the stables._" Lady Arwen explained calmly and the twins' faces fell at her words as to why they were not able to spy on the meeting as planned. Even Legolas was a little put off, for while he agreed to his father's command on not attending, he was interested as to what they could possibly be discussing that they didn't want the younger elves to overhear.

"_Do you still wish to accompany us to the stables now or do you have some other scheme to entertain yourselves?_" Lady Mirima asked as she stopped walking and turned to face Elladan and Elrohir specifically, but her eyes did dance over to Legolas and Aldon to subtly include them in the question. Lady Arwen gracefully, and in step, stopped with Lady Mirima. The two were truly close friends to be able to anticipate one another's actions so smoothly.

"_We shall continue to your stables for we have missed both of your pleasant company._" Elladan answered.

"_Plus, Mirima, you have always come up with the best schemes._" Elrohir added and got a subtle blush from the elusive maiden whilst Arwen shook her head at her brothers' teasing smirks and Legolas and Aldon were, once again, left surprised about this information about Lady Mirima. It seems that there was a lot the elves from Mirkwood did not know about Lady Mirima upon their brief acquaintance with her and initial assumptions of her character in conjunction to their previous experiences with elf maidens.

"_Well, since you said all those lovely comments, how can I not let you see my colt?_" Lady Mirima replied with the beautiful blush still staining her cheeks. Once more, the elves of Rivendell looked at the elves from Mirkwood to see what their answers would be. Aldon and Legolas simply nodded their heads for Lady Mirima and Lady Arwen to continue their trek to the stables. Both Legolas and Aldon were now keen on observing how the other four elves interacted with one another because it was truly unique and amusing to see the gentle Lady Arwen stand beside the normally gentle Lady Mirima as Elladan and Elrohir teased Lady Mirima mercilessly until she retorted back with her own witty but barbed comments.

It quite entertaining indeed for Legolas and Aldon to see a maiden put Elladan and Elrohir in their place multiple times in one conversation. But it was also truly amazing to Legolas because it was in this setting that he felt that he was actually catching a glimpse of the real Mirima, not the lady which was bred by her parents to behave accordingly in front of others. It was the Mirima that only people like Elladan, Elrohir, and Lady Arwen were privy to because they were her intimate friends. Legolas was very envious of Lord Elrond's children for that, for being able to befriend this maiden in such a way, to be in the company of the provocative elf whenever they pleased. Legolas truly could not figure out how he could breach that barrier and join Elladan, Elrohir, and Lady Arwen in the level of companionship to Lady Mirima, to possibly exceed that level and be even more privileged with the knowledge of the intimate Mirima.

All he could do was simply stand there, behind Elladan and Elrohir, and occasionally join the conversation whenever a question was directed at him as his eyes remained transfixed on Lady Mirima, attempting to catch glimpses of the intimate Mirima whenever she dropped her guard for a moment and then realized that he and Aldon were still there behind her. It was frustrating and depressing that she would not act the same around him and Aldon like she did around Lord Elrond's children. But then, Legolas understood for the fact that he was acting very different around them than he normally would around Aldon and his father. So, Legolas remained in the background in the hopes of not alerting Lady Mirima of his presence and, thus, catch more glimpses of her unguarded self which was truly more alluring and amazing than the projected lady she was in the company of guests and strangers.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello Readers! **

**As usual, this is my thank you to everyone who has put this story under alert/favorites and a response to those who reviewed! **

**REDRydingHood: Hahaha I'm glad you found the situation immensely amusing. I always wondered what Legolas would be like if he was sexually frustrated so that really influenced the previous chapter. And a little bit in this one as well (hehe small spoiler). I'm also glad that you didn't think he was too OOC because I was a bit worried that people might think that way since Legolas seems to be a rather self-controlled character. He never seems to be ruffled about anything except for at the Battle for Helms Deep when he thought it was a hopeless battle and that is it. He was even very composed when it came to Gandalf's death! So I had some slight difficulty trying to write out his sexual frustration without getting too out of character. Either way, thank you for another amazing review! **

**My Disclaimer is in Chapter 1 and I hope you all enjoy this latest chapter! **

**Without further ado, onwards to the story! **

**Luv, **

**crzychigurl343**

* * *

Chapter 4

It would be hundreds of years after the Elven Council in Rivendell when Mirima would see Prince Legolas again. This time it would in Lothlórien and they were still just two passing strangers to one another who exchanged polite conversation until they were pulled away. Mirima just could not act like herself whenever she was around Prince Legolas. She wanted to impress him and she knew that the only way to gain a man's favorable attention would be to act like the lady her mother, Anira, and Lady Celebrían had taught her to be. Unfortunately, by acting like a lady, she was not able to breach past polite conversation to really get to know Prince Legolas other than the fact that he was a prince, his duties while strenuous were rewarding, and that Mirkwood was still flourishing under his father's rule despite living just north of Dol Guldur, the Necromancer's fortress which was beginning to cast a dark shadow over the Woodland Realm. At least that was a step up from the regular conversation on the weather, how beautiful Lórien is, and how welcoming the people were.

Mirima nearly snorted every time they talked about the inhabitants of Lothlórien because she couldn't help but think about how all the women threw themselves at Prince Legolas. Literally, every woman save herself, Lady Arwen, Lady Galadriel, and females who have not hit puberty did so. Every available maiden was trying to be coy and seduce him into courting them which would eventually lead to marriage. Every she-elf that was attached to another was trying to get his attention for their available daughters, sisters, or nieces, no matter the age of said relatives. One she-elf even attempted to proposition her elfling daughter in the hopes that Prince Legolas would be willing to wait until she was older, stating that her beauty was evident even as an elfling and would only grow as she gets older. Mirima's eyes nearly popped out of her head when she witnessed that.

It is true that elves did not need to fear time and that there were relationships between Elven men and women that had a large age difference consisting of multiple centuries but the elves were not known for betrothing their elflings _because_ they did not fear time. Their elflings could grow up to full maturity, as well as be adults for a time, and not have to worry about marrying as soon as possible like human children did.

Mirima truly felt bad for the prince who was only visiting Lórien for a few months because he and his squad of wardens were exchanging training techniques with the wardens of Lórien, not to find himself a spouse. After the few months, some of the few selected and privileged Lórien wardens were going to travel with them back to Mirkwood for further training and exchanging of information but with Legolas and his father, King Thranduil, playing host.

It was this sympathy which led to the reason why she never pursued Prince Legolas whenever he decided to spend time with her and Lady Arwen. They were the only women, along with Lady Galadriel, who had no agenda with him and treated him not as a something to be propositioned and bartered with but as a regular male elf. Or, at least, as close as to a regular male elf a stunning prince can be. As for why Mirima never pursued a friendship with Prince Legolas…it was because of how intimidated she was around him.

The prince truly was the most handsome being Mirima has ever seen, both elf and man. Just conjuring up an image of Prince Legolas made Mirima burn heavy with desire and her heart race. It was even more intense whenever she was around him. To be so close to him and not be able to touch him was almost too excruciating at times hence why Mirima never stayed in his presence long. She didn't want to embarrass herself by acting so improperly or, even worse, get rejected by the prince. Now that would be truly devastating.

Another reason why she was so intimidated by him was that no matter what Prince Legolas seemed to do, he did it masterfully. In archery he was unparalleled, which was common knowledge. He was perfectly calm, borderline stoic, so that he always has a level head whenever a problem arises. He has the aura of a leader and the respect of every elf he has come into contact with and, yet, he was willing to listen to other's opinions on different matters, willing to change his opinion if he was wrong. All of these amiable qualities made Prince Legolas a desirable partner and spouse to just about every female.

Last, but not certainly not least, Mirima never became more than acquaintances to Prince Legolas for the fact that whenever she was in his presence, however brief a time, he was always staring at her. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem. But it is the intensity of his gaze that makes Mirima want to fidget and run to the nearest mirror to see what is wrong with her that warrants such a look from Prince Legolas. She wouldn't say he looked at her repulsively, but she also knew that there had to be a reason for such a gaze. Also, every time he stared at her, Mirima felt scorched with desire, her heart pounded out of her chest, and all of her senses seemed to lock right onto him so that she knew every twitch and sound he made, no matter how subtle it was. She knew that if she kept Prince Legolas' gaze, he would be able to read that desire which would lead to embarrassment and possible rejection. So, while she did maintain some eye contact with the prince, she mostly kept her gaze somewhere else whenever he was around and tried not to make it obvious that she was leaving because of him and her inability to hide her feelings towards him and only him because no other male has ever made her feel this way.

He made her feel both giddy and anxious in his presence. He made her more aware of how feminine she is. He made her more aware of her own suppressed feelings for physical contact with someone else, the want to be held in a lover's embrace and feel its warmth and comfort, the contentment. He made her more aware of how she yearns for the same relationship her parents have, that Lord Elrond and Lady Celebrían used to have before she was attacked by orcs and sailed off to Valinor recently, that Mirima even sees with Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel, although, Mirima would bet that nobody else could see how in love the two rather enigmatic guardians of Lórien were with one another even after a millennia of time together.

Mirima felt all of this whenever she was around Prince Legolas despite barely knowing the elf and that is what scared her the most. How could she have such amorous feelings for someone so quickly without knowing anything personal about him? After barely spending anytime with the man? It was just way too fast and intense for Mirima that she knew that she needed to keep her distance to prevent herself from truly falling in love with the royal elf to the point of no return. If she became friends with Prince Legolas, find out his likes and dislikes, hopes and dreams, truly got to know the elf, Mirima knew that she would be in love with him for the rest of her days.

"_Going out for another ride, Lady Mirima? Didn't you go yesterday as well?_" Lord Haldir's voice broke Mirima away from her thoughts. She turned around in the stables, waiting patiently for her horse to be brought to her, to see Lord Haldir, his five wardens, Prince Legolas, and his five wardens, one of whom Mirima recognized as Lord Aldon, standing just outside the entrance. Upon seeing all twelve elves, Mirima dropped into a curtsey one second before they could bow in greeting once they had captured her attention.

"_I am and I did. Despite living here for five years, I am still able to find something new in the forests of Lórien that sparks my curiosity. But, I know you know that experience yourself as marchwarden, Lord Haldir. Are you all heading out as well?_" Mirima answered politely with a smile but kept her gaze on Lord Haldir and snuck discreet glances at Prince Legolas. As usual, he was staring intently at her as he stood quietly in front of his men, only slightly forward and to the left of Lord Aldon. Each elf had a bow and quiver strapped to their backs just like Mirima because it would not be very wise to go into the woods without some form of protection. Each man was also dressed for hours and possible days in the woods with their thick leggings, light tunics, and leather jerkins for some mild protection. Only a few like Lord Haldir, Prince Legolas, Lord Aldon, and Lord Haldir's right hand, Lord Nedhudir, had additional weapons on their bodies such as long-bladed knives or swords depending on the elf.

"_We are, but, Lady Mirima, you know that I do not like it when you go out in the woods unescorted. Why not stay in Lothlórien with Lady Arwen? I am sure she could use the company in this trying time for her._" Lord Haldir tried to dissuade her but that only ignited Mirima's anger at his attempts to use her cousin and closest friend's grief over the loss of her mother to keep Mirima penned up in the capital like she was some helpless babe.

Mirima had decided to move to Lothlórien with Arwen after Lady Celebrían's departure to Valinor because Mirima knew that Arwen would need someone familiar there to comfort her in the new environment she was placing herself in the hopes of being closer to the memory of her now absent mother. Arwen hoped that if she lived in the same place that Lady Celebrían grew up in, then she would not feel as much grief as she did in Rivendell amongst her father and brothers as well as Mirima's parents. Mirima respected Arwen's decision and tried to be there for the woman whenever Mirima's own grief wasn't too much to bear.

However, Mirima and Arwen grieved in their own separate ways which involved Mirima harnessing her curiosity to distract herself and the only way that was able to occur at the present would be to retire to the woods for a few hours. Five years was long enough for Mirima's curiosity about the inhabitants in Lothlórien to wane. Not that they still couldn't surprise and intrigue her, but now it was rare unlike the forest which always held something to distract her from the grief of losing someone who was like another mother to her. Arwen, on the other hand, grieved in secluded grottos and, recently, has requested more privacy from Mirima which she was more than willing to bestow because she knew that she could be overbearing at times in her attempts to console her closest friend.

Either way, Lady Celebrían's departure and Arwen's grief was, naturally, a sensitive subject to Mirima. A topic that she didn't like to be used against her in Lord Haldir's attempts to restrain Mirima ever since she first arrived in Lothlórien and revealed to him that she was more than willing to get into her fair share of trouble in the quest of easing her own grief and curiosity, that she wasn't some quiet maiden like most she-elves were due to extensive breeding and upbringing. Lord Haldir, for some unknown reason, has taken upon himself to keep her "in line", or whatever he viewed was "in line". Although, Mirima was assured by Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel that she has not crossed any form of boundaries whilst in Lothlórien. It is safe to say that Lord Haldir and Mirima have butted heads with each other many times over the past five years.

"_I have spent the whole morning with Arwen and we both agreed that we needed some time apart. As for your feelings upon the matter of my lack of escort, I believe I have continuously proven to you and your men for the past couple of years that I do not need an escort upon my exploration of the Golden Wood. I thank you, though, for the continued concern and I hope that your own expedition into the woods is safe but engaging for you, Prince Legolas, and the other fine wardens under your combined leadership._" Mirima replied to Lord Haldir coolly but still cordially as a stable hand approached her with her sable-colored stallion, a distant descendent of Hwesta, whom she named Calenhir. She thanked the young elf and hoisted herself up onto Calenhir without any help, a subtle gesture to Lord Haldir about her ability to take care of herself. With one last nod to all of the wardens assembled in front of her, her anger and giddiness fueled Mirima into leaving without further word or comment from Lord Haldir.

By the time she left the capital she realized that she didn't give a proper farewell and she acted like a rather spoiled brat in front of Prince Legolas. With that horrifying thought in mind, Mirima felt her cheeks stain a deep red that probably rivaled her hair color. Now she definitely was going to be avoiding Prince Legolas as much as possible today and possibly tomorrow depending how long her embarrassment will hold. Unfortunately for Mirima, she didn't know how amused and entranced Legolas was with her entire exchange with Lord Haldir as he and the rest of the men were left watching her ride off into the woods.

Standing near the front of the entrance to the stables, wearing a brown riding dress with slits up the sides, front, and back of the dress to reveal dark grey leggings, brown boots, a bow and quiver on her back, and sheathed daggers strapped onto a leather belt on her hips, Lady Mirima looked lost in thought when the wardens first walked up to her. Legolas would have given anything to know what held her thoughts in deep concentration, but, as usual, he was unable to initiate a conversation because Lord Haldir was the one to gain her attention by speaking out to her first.

Legolas had to wait patiently and impassively besides Lord Haldir and watched as the Marchwarden of Lórien stole the pleasure of talking to Lady Mirima. Her gaze rested briefly on Legolas and the other wardens in the beginning of the conversation before she focused her sole attention on Lord Haldir which made Legolas envious beyond belief. But, then again, the prince of Mirkwood was envious of anyone who had some form of personal interaction with Lady Mirima and, thus, could freely converse with the copper-haired maiden. He did, however, appreciate the fire Lord Haldir brought out in Lady Mirima when he tried to convince her to stay within the capital and she clearly disagreed.

While Legolas also shared the same concern as Lord Haldir about Lady Mirima's safety, the prince also respected the maiden's abilities to defend herself and the confidence she has for herself and said abilities. Legolas has seen Lady Mirima at the archery ranges and knew she was a great shot that would make her an excellent soldier in Rivendell's army if she wasn't a woman. She, also, must clearly be able to wield daggers expertly to own a pair. If her tracking abilities were as good as her archery, Legolas was convinced that she would also make an excellent warden. While women were allowed to become wardens, as rare as that occurrence is, Lady Mirima was probably withheld from joining based on her title and family. Legolas highly doubted that Lord Erestor and Lady Míriel would allow their daughter to become a warden.

Legolas watched in slight frustration as Lady Mirima rode off on her horse without further word to any of the wardens. As usual, Legolas was not able to get a word in towards Lady Mirima and could only stare at the bewitching maiden. What frustrated Legolas was not Lady Mirima, but his inability to capture her interest. Legolas could give an accidental side glance to some random maiden as he walked through Lothlórien and she would either swoon or find some subtle way to talk to him and flirt with him, but not with Lady Mirima.

Legolas could stare straight at her for an hour and she wouldn't pass him a second glance unless it was the polite thing to do since he was openly looking at her. Lady Mirima never talked to him except for when convention called for it and even then she never broached topics past the basics of how his time in Lórien was going and whether he and his men were enjoying themselves. After that, she either had someplace else to be or would turn to another and talk freely with them. Aldon took great amusement in the fact that the normally irresistible Prince Legolas could not get the one woman he was interested in. Thankfully, Aldon kept this to himself for the past couple of months and ribbed him in private, not in front of the rest of his wardens or complete strangers.

"_Gather our horses immediately._" Lord Haldir commanded the stable hand who had brought out Lady Mirima's horse. The young elf nodded and bolted as fast as he could to do as Lord Haldir bitingly ordered. Once the boy was gone, Lord Haldir turned to face Legolas with a sigh and an apologetic look on his face.

"_I'm sorry you had to witness that, your highness. I don't know what it is about Lady Mirima, but we tend to step on each other's toes._" Lord Haldir explained and Legolas gave him a faint smile and a nod of his head to show that he understood.

"_It is because you are a mountain while Mirima is the wind._" Lady Galadriel's cool voice spoke up behind the group of twelve elves. They turned to see Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel standing behind them, Lady Galadriel's hand resting comfortably in the crook of Lord Celeborn's elbow, clearly on a casual stroll of Lothlórien.

"_My Lord and Lady,_" Lord Haldir greeted them solemnly with a respectful bow followed by the rest of the elves, including Legolas and his men.

"_Pardon me, my Lady, but I do not understand what you just said about Lord Haldir and Lady Mirima._" Aldon asked once Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel nodded their heads in return of the salutation. Lady Galadriel was not the one to answer despite the serene smile on her face.

"_Lord Haldir is strong and immovable like a mountain which is an admirable trait for a man with his responsibilities. Lady Mirima is gentle but constantly moving like the wind. If stirred up too much, she can be a force to reckon with. Not surprising for she has inherited the spirit of King Fëanor and his house._" Lord Celeborn responded to Aldon's question.

"_When the wind meets a mountain, the mountain will either break to the wind's will or it will break the wind. Only a tree can make the wind bend to it or it will bend to the wind, neither breaking, the perfect compromise of two different elements._" Lady Galadriel finished for her husband and, at the mention of a tree, looked directly at Legolas with this knowing smile that made Legolas curious as to what the powerful elf has seen of the future. It was pretty clear she was dropping a hint in regards to Legolas and Lady Mirima, but what the hint was referring to was still a mystery. Well, it was mystery to the wardens since Lord Celeborn soon looked at Legolas with the same knowing smile as his wife.

"_We shall leave you all to your duties then, stay safe._" Lord Celeborn bade them farewell before he and Lady Galadriel walked away, leaving twelve mystified elves in their wake.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello Fellow Fanfiction Readers! **

**As usual, I want to say thank you to everyone who has read this story and decided to put it under alerts/favorites and/or left me a review about what they thought about it so far! **

**REDRydingHood: That's great that my previous chapter made you so happy and I find it interesting that you loved how she brushed off Haldir hahaha not many people would comment about that. Either way, thank you for another amazing review. **

**Kazama-sama: I'm glad that you think my work so far is awesome and I hope I can keep up to such high praise **

**As a side note, I want to let you all know that I will be moving away from the Legomance for now. However, I will be explaining more in depth about Mirima's relationship and connection to Aragorn and how she becomes a Ranger. But don't worry; I am trying to figure out how I can get one more MirimaXLegolas moment in there before I officially enter the Fellowship timeline and the real action begins. **

**As I have stated before….my disclaimer is in Chapter 1 and I hope you enjoy this newest chapter! **

**Luv, **

**crzychigurl343 **

* * *

Chapter 5

Centuries have passed once more and, now, Mirima is residing back in Rivendell with her parents, Lord Elrond, Elladan, and Elrohir while Arwen has decided to remain in Lothlórien with Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel. It was difficult for Mirima to move away from Arwen and no longer see her best friend every day or find her easily if Mirima wishes. But, Mirima has found a way to entertain herself without achieving Elladan and Elrohir's title as a prankster of Rivendell. Mainly, Mirima either tended to her mother closely, learning more about Elven politics and how a woman can partake in them, or Mirima would go on lengthy day trips with her father into the woods surrounding Rivendell.

It was on these walks that Mirima truly realized how much like her father she was, in that they both loved being surrounded by nature, how it soothed them. However, the difference between Mirima and Lord Erestor would be Lord Erestor's ability to immediately gain the trust of wild animals in the woods. Lord Erestor could sit on the forest floor for ten minutes before a brave bird or squirrel would approach him, followed by more animals. The time would be extended to twenty minutes if someone else was with him like Mirima. It was during these times that Mirima learned the art of meditation and even learned how to fight with a sword upon further request to her father. Lord Erestor was hesitant at first, but, eventually, he agreed to the lessons after enough pleading from Mirima and the logic that it would be another weapon Mirima could use to defend herself with if such an occurrence arose and she was without bow and arrows or her daggers within her reach.

It was on a bright sunny day in the middle of the forest in which Mirima found herself in another fencing lesson with Lord Erestor. Both were wielding wooden swords even though Lord Erestor's real blade was sheathed and attached to his leather belt just like the daggers on Mirima's belt were. In fact, Mirima was wearing one of her father's old leather jerkins over a green tunic, brown leggings, and boots. Both father and daughter had their hair tied back in a single braid and their bow and quivers were lying against a nearby tree with their waterskins, which were nearly depleted after hours of exercise, and their horses whom were calmly watching or eating the grass nearby.

"_Keep moving your feet, Mirima. Excellent!_" Lord Erestor, first, instructed as he slammed the wooden sword into hers with enough force to push Mirima back a few steps. He praised her when she was able to side step his next swipe and use the momentum to put more distance between them so she could catch her breath.

Before she was ready, Lord Erestor once more went on the offensive, causing Mirima to grit her teeth as she parried the blow. Lord Erestor told her that in a real fight her opponent would not allow her to back off without further attack and so he was going to teach her the same way. She also knew her father was going to reprimand her for staying on the defense for too long, so Mirima forced herself to meet his hits and push back, looking for any possible openings against an expert swordsman like Lord Erestor.

"_Yes! Fight back!_" Lord Erestor encouraged her as she forced him to take a few steps back so as to avoid the sweep of her sword at his torso. Without further word, Mirima launched herself forward, this time on the offensive, which had Lord Erestor smiling with his gray eyes at his daughter who had initially struggled with sword play and was now excelling to the point that she should be able to carry her own metal sword. But their sparring was cut short when they heard the scream of a woman, the cry of a baby, and the clash of metal near their enclosure in the woods. From how faint the sound was, the father and daughter duo thought it was some distance away from them, but they could not ignore how close it was to Rivendell's borders as well.

Lord Erestor and Mirima stopped midst clash of the wooden swords. Lowering them slightly, they turned towards the noise and focused their senses on where it was coming from. Enhanced vision of the elves allowed the two to see a band of five orcs attacking four armed men, one woman, and the baby she was holding in her arms. Unfortunately for the woman and child, the men protecting them were slowly being overpowered and slaughtered in front of them. Neither Lord Erestor or Mirima could stand aside and watch the slaughter of innocents and, wordlessly, they dropped the wood swords and ran forward to intercept the three orcs which remained since two were killed by the men while three of the men were killed as well, leaving one to defend the woman and child.

Lord Erestor immediately unsheathed his sword midst run so that he blocked the orc which started to head towards the seemingly unarmed woman and the child in her arms. Mirima picked up a sword from one of the fallen men to intercept the other orc whilst the third was fighting the only man who had survived the attack thus far.

Even though the sword was made to be wielded by a man with stronger and larger muscle mass and because she was facing against an orc who towered over her, fighting with an axe that probably weighed more than she, Mirima somehow found a way to hold her own against the orc. But thanks to her inexperience with fighting with a sword and the other disadvantages previously mentioned, Mirima could do little but block the axe from maiming her and, from the previous exercise, her arms were starting to get tired and heavy. It seemed the orc could tell by the way he laughed maniacally at her.

"Don't get into fights you can't keep up with." The orc exclaimed in Westron, the common tongue for all residents on Middle Earth, as he added even more force behind the swings of his axe which jarred Mirima every time her sword parried the blows. Mirima furrowed her brows in annoyance and let her eyes scan her surroundings to form a better plan of attack.

When she did, Mirima pushed herself to meet the swings of the axe with renewed vigor, but didn't push back so hard because she knew that would be impossible. Mirima was actually trying to get closer to the orc's body. With each parry, Mirima got closer to her goal until she feinted right but moved left to the confusion of the orc now that she was too close for the over-sized axe to be useful against her. Mirima then dropped the heavy sword and, with lightning reflexes, she grabbed her daggers, sprung up right in front of the orc's chest, and drove her daggers through the orc's flimsy leather tunic and straight into his lungs. The orc fell backwards with the stunned look etched on its face for eternity in death.

Mirima took a deep breath and transferred her attention to finding any other possible attackers. But she only saw the woman covering her baby with her body and Lord Erestor stepping over the dead body of the orc he was fighting off. Lord Erestor was in midst step as if he was going to interfere with her own battle if she hadn't slain her orc. Both elves turned in their place to see the man finally defeat his orc opponent by decapitating it. Silence reigned on the group shortly as they all gathered themselves and let the adrenaline fade from their bodies.

"_Are you elves of Rivendell?_" The woman finally broke the quiet which descended on the forest, speaking actually in Sindarin that elves would use.

"_What is your business?_" Lord Erestor replied instead of confirming. The human man walked up to the woman to stand beside her and in a protective stance with his hand still clutching his sword instead of sheathing it while Mirima went to stand beside her father after retrieving her daggers. Because the man didn't sheath his sword, Mirima didn't put her daggers away until she saw her father do so with his sword in an act of peace.

The human woman standing before them was a beautiful one with flowing blonde hair and stunning blue eyes. She wore a rather elegant black cloak over a travel weary but still high quality grey riding dress. Based on the intricate broach on both her cloak and the man's cloak, she knew they were wealthy. Or, at least, the woman was and the man was under her command based on the quality of his clothes compared to hers.

The man wore a leather jerkin and leather breaches over leather boots and a black tunic under silver chain mail. But it was his dark looks compared to his grey eyes that told Mirima the man was a Ranger of the North, a descendent of the Dúnedain. Mirima's eyes traveled to the deceased guards and realized that they were also Rangers. The woman must have been important for the Rangers to have escorted her out of Eriador and gave their lives for her since the Rangers have been known to be rather autonomous to themselves unless directed by their unit-chiefs or their overall chieftain to protect the border of Eriador and the inhabitants within it, which they currently were no longer in due to being so close to Rivendell. Even then their unit-chiefs had a difficult time in commanding them if they didn't have the men's proper respect. Only the chieftain truly had control over the Rangers and it was hard even then due to how spread out the Rangers is across all of Eriador.

"The man beside me is Uther, Ranger of the North. My name is Gilraen, wife to Arathorn, the fifteenth chieftain of the Dúnedain, and mother to its future chieftain, Aragorn II, and I have come this far to seek an audience with the protector of Rivendell, Lord Elrond." The woman announced now in Westron with firm authority that impressed Mirima.

She has seen only a few women possess as much strength that Lady Gilraen was demonstrating, even if they had a royal title. This is the first time she has seen it in a human female. Mirima could tell that even her father was impressed as well although Lord Erestor kept his expression in its usual stoic and neutral state as he sized up Lady Gilraen.

"My name is Lord Erestor and this is my daughter, Lady Mirima. I am Lord Elrond's counselor and we can take you straight to him. It is our pleasure to make your acquaintance, my lady." Her father replied also in Westron and with a low bow. Upon introducing her, Mirima followed with a deep curtsey. Lady Gilraen also curtsied, even with her toddler son in her arms, and Uther bowed lowly as well.

"Thank you," Lady Gilraen answered and Mirima could hear the fatigue and gratitude in her voice and see it in the way the wrinkles softened around her eyes.

"We have a few things my daughter and I need to retrieve, but, afterwards, we will help bury your dead and take you to Rivendell. So please wait here for us." Lord Erestor stated and, at their nods of understanding, the elves departed to pick up the rest of their belongings in the clearing they once occupied along with bringing their horses. By the time they returned, Uther had separated the dead with orcs on the right and the three Rangers on the left. Mirima helped in positioning the Rangers in the proper burial pose; left arm crossed over the chest, fist clenched, and the right arm extended on the side and holding their sword.

As Mirima picked up her borrowed sword from where she dropped it on the ground and placed it in its deceased owner's hand, she gave a silent prayer to the Rangers in the hopes that they had a better afterlife and also thank the one Ranger for the excellent quality of his blade which was able to withstand an orc's axe repeatedly. Afterwards, she stepped back and allowed her father and Uther to cover the three Rangers with dirt. She stood beside Lady Gilraen and her son. Next, Uther went through the orcs for any weapons that he might want which Lord Erestor and Mirima refrained from doing so. Instead, they waited until he was finished before just covering the orcs with leaves and twigs and not with as much care as given to the dead Rangers. In complete silence, the group then turned to retrieve the humans' horses before mounting and heading towards Rivendell with Lord Erestor and Mirima leading and Uther bringing up the rear just in case of further ambush and attack. They remained silent through Rivendell's gates, through the actual capital itself, and straight to Lord Elrond's place. They dismounted at the stables and handed their horses off to available stable hands before entering the palace.

"_Do you know where your lord is at the moment?_" Lord Erestor asked the nearest servant upon entrance into Lord Elrond's home.

"_I believe that he is in his study, sir._" The she-elf replied after curtseying to both Lord Erestor and Mirima in recognition of their relation to Lord Elrond.

"_Thank you,_" Lord Erestor replied and dismissed the servant before he and Mirima once more led the outsiders to where they needed to go. Lord Erestor knocked on the door first and waited until he heard Lord Elrond give them permission to enter. Lord Elrond appeared to have been waiting for them since he was calmly sitting behind his desk with no clear work in front of him and he did not look either surprised or curious about the humans walking in behind Lord Erestor and Mirima.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Lady Gilraen, and I welcome you to Rivendell as well as am sorry for your loss. If you will hand over your son to Lady Mirima, they, along with Uther, can wait outside while you, Lord Erestor, and I can discuss what it is you seek from me without interruption." Lord Elrond greeted them in Westron and confirmed Mirima's suspicions that he already knew the reason why they were there along with the identities of the humans. Lady Gilraen hesitated, not because she didn't trust the elves around her, but because she didn't want to part with her son after the difficult journey they had and before she was sure that they were at a safe haven for them. But, she eventually did let go of her son and gave the toddler over to Uther, instead of Mirima, although none of the elves were insulted by this.

Mirima curtsied respectfully to Lord Elrond, her father, and Lady Gilraen before she opened the door for Uther. He nodded his head after shifting the toddler to sit in his arms more comfortably since the toddler began to fuss for his mother. Lady Gilraen had a small pained expression on her face as Aragorn continued to struggle and reach out to her as Uther walked out of the room and didn't stop even as Mirima closed the door behind her. When Mirima turned around to look at Uther and Aragorn, it was clear to see that Uther has never held a small child before by the difficulty he was having trying to keep hold of Aragorn. Then again, Aragorn was not helping him by continuously fidgeting in the efforts to get closer to the door and to his mother. Aragorn did not speak other than the little grunts or whines that slipped out of his lips as he twisted around in Uther's arms.

Mirima wasn't sure if that was because Aragorn could not speak or because he did not wish to because she wasn't sure when a human child would develop the ability to speak coherently. For elves, it is around the age of five to six summers or winters depending on which season the baby was born. Aragorn looked to be around this age but Mirima also knew that humans tended to grow faster than elves, so Aragorn could actually be younger.

"How old is he?" Mirima decided to ask while she examined the still fussy child as she tilted her head in curiosity and kept her eyes on Aragorn. He looked nothing like his mother with brown hair and pudgy but pronounced cheekbones. However, he did have his mother's blue eyes. The child was also wearing a gray tunic under a fitted thin leather sleeveless jerkin and small fur cloak. His leggings were brown and his feet were covered by fitted leather boots.

"Two summers old." Uther's gruff voice strained as he continued to adjust to Aragorn's movements with the bumbling precision of a Ranger who did not handle small children often but had fast enough reflexes to counteract a small child. Mirima nodded and felt immediately more questions pop into her head about human growth but she knew that Uther was probably not the type to answer all of her questions since they were still practically strangers to one another.

"Can he speak?" She asked, hoping to at least get one more answer before Uther got too irritated by her questions like most people did because they did not know Mirima's personality. As expected, Uther gave her a wary look for her question before he answered and looked back at Aragorn to anticipate the child's next movement.

"I have only heard him speak little but I am assured by Lady Gilraen that he can and very fluently despite his age. It seems he is quite shy of strangers and even after two months of travelling with me and…the others, the young lord has only started talking to us. Although, I see that he has now reverted back to his silence or else he would be wailing right now." Uther explained elaborately, more so than Mirima would have expected, but she assumed it was because he wanted to stop her from asking anymore questions. If only he knew that Mirima could always come up with another question thanks to her insatiable curiosity. If Mirima was a thousand years younger, she would have proven this fact by bombarding Uther with more questions. But, she knew better now and withheld herself. She also dropped it because of the small pained inflection in his tone when he brought up his recently fallen comrades.

"Hmm, may I hold him and try to calm him?" Mirima changed topics and held her arms open for the child but did not move forward so that Uther was not suspicious of her intentions in wanting to hold the child who would be his future chieftain. Uther shot her another wary and questioning look, but, after a few more moments of trying to handle Aragorn, Uther admitted defeat as he cautiously put the squirming child in her arms. Aragorn continued to fidget in Mirima's embrace, so she lifted herself up and down to the balls of her feet to soothe the child and made the same nonsensical shushing noises her mother and Anira used to use whenever Mirima was upset as an elfling.

"Ssh, _N__ë__rce_, ssh…There we go, _N__ë__rce_." Mirima mumbled under her breath after her humming had, finally, some effect on the child. When she called Aragorn "little man" in Quenya, the boy looked up at her with wide eyes so that she gave him a soft smile and she finally stopped moving. But, when her blue eyes locked with his, everything changed around Mirima.

_Looking down, Mirima could see her hand clutched around a man's wrist; both of them were suspended midair with her other arm stretched vertically above Mirima as she hung onto to something that stopped them from falling into the rapids below which would surely kill them. This man was fully grown with wavy, almost curly, brown, minimally graying, hair to his shoulders and dark stubble covered his lower jaw, right below his prominent cheek bones. But, even with the stubble, his strong jaw line was pronounced and, over all, the man Mirima was clutching was very handsome in a rakish way. He was wearing leather breeches tucked into brown leather boots. There was a sword attached to his hip by a leather belt. On top, he was wearing chain mail covered by a leather jacket, which could remove the sleeves if need be, with thicker leather greaves on his arms. Hands were covered by thick clothed, fingerless gloves and, to top it all off, he was wearing a green cloak strapped around his neck by a beautiful green leaf broach that could only come from Lórien by its craftsmanship that Mirima easily recognized. His head was lolled back so his face was visible to Mirima and his eyes were closed, signifying the man was unconscious. But Mirima also knew this by how slack and heavy the man was in her grip. _

_Mirima's knuckles were excruciatingly white and her hands ached from their tight grip on both the man and whatever she was clutching above her, but Mirima did not dare to let go. She couldn't let this man die. It wasn't because Mirima would try to save anyone's life, but because she had an emotional attachment to this man that exceeded everything Mirima has ever thought she would feel for a human. It wasn't a romantic type of love Mirima felt for this man, but a strong bond of friendship, almost as if it transcended past that of blood and familial relations, and Mirima would be damned to let him die. He was too important and not even just to her. Although, Mirima didn't understand how she knows this or why she feels this way. Either way, she was not going to let him fall to his death without a fight. Mirima gritted her teeth as this strong wave of protectiveness raged through her veins and she looked up. _

_When she did so, she noticed a number of things. She noticed that she was clutching unto a long-bladed knife, a beautiful one at that, with marble inlaid ivory handle and a gleaming gold pummel that matched the gold used as the band separating the handle to the blade. The blade itself was shorter than a regular long-bladed knife, thin width wise, and it gleamed brightly on the deadly sharp metal as it reflected the sun briefly into her eyes that she almost missed the small inscription along the center ridge of the blade. Mirima could not read it at the moment thanks to the sun's glare, but she knew it was there. The blade of the knife was buried deep into the cliff-side as Mirima looked up into the sky and saw the ledge that she jumped off of to catch the unconscious man in her other occupied hand. There was a long crack above where the blade was buried to show where the long-bladed knife had first entered the cliff-side and how far it took until the blade stopped their descent. _

_The next thing she noticed was the sounds of fighting, the clash of blades, the sounds of grunts, the howling of wargs and various different people shouting whether in a battle cry or the cry from pain and death. Clearly there was a battle going on top of the cliff that Mirima and the man were dangling from. Mirima did not recognize where they were and she didn't know why she was a part of this fight with this man. All she knew was that this man was unconscious from this fight before he was pushed off the edge of the cliff and, when Mirima saw this, she jumped over to grab him without further thought about the battle or herself. She somehow knew that this man would do the same for her if it was the other way around, he would do it without second thought just like she did for him. Mirima gritted her teeth once more when she realized that no one would be able to come to their aid anytime soon as she once more looked down at the man. _

"_Aragorn! Aragorn, answer me! Estel! Don't you dare give up on me now! Wake up now! Estel!" Mirima screamed unexpectedly at him and pleaded to him using both of his names in the hopes he would respond to one of them. Well, it was unexpected to her since she didn't think she knew the man's name. _

Then, all of a sudden, she was back in the present. She was back looking into Aragorn's open blue eyes and his rounded adolescent face. Even without the two names this child possesses ringing in her ears, Mirima would have known that the man in her vision was who this child would grow up to be. She could tell this by the same shade of dark brown hair with no grey and how it was just beginning to curl into a wave since it was cropped short around his ears. Also, Mirima could see the same cheekbone structure between the man and the child although the cheekbones at the moment were pudgy and was still in the process of growing out of the baby weight and into his future rakish masculine features. If anything, Mirima would bet that he looked like the spitting image of his father and the Dúnedain heritage Aragorn surely belongs to.

But, in the present, holding the toddler, Mirima was accosted with the strange feeling of protectiveness for Aragorn as he sat in her arms. Her body was now prone to move with Aragorn's to make sure that he did not fall out of her grasp and get hurt. It was as if the emotions she felt in the premonition transferred over to now.

"Do not worry, _Estel_. You and your Mama are safe here. She just needs to speak to Lord Elrond and then she will be back. So there is no need to fuss. Do you understand?" Mirima asked and couldn't help but use his elven name. Aragorn blinked a couple of times as his child mind tried to process what she said to him. He then nodded his head before his little arms wound around her neck to hug Mirima. The maiden exchanged wide-eyed looks with Uther as she repositioned one arm to hug the child back and her throat constricted with emotion. But neither of them said anything as the door to Lord Elrond's study opened to reveal Lord Elrond, Lord Erestor, and Lady Gilraen. All three of them looked subtly surprised in their own way at the fact that Aragorn was in Mirima's embrace, let alone that the child was hugging her.

"Mama," Aragorn murmured and nudged Mirima to return him to his mother but he did not make any other unruly movements like he did in Uther's arms. Mirima nodded in understanding as she walked forward to do as the child requested.

"Thank you for looking after my son." Lady Gilraen stated as soon as Aragorn was settled comfortably in her arms, sitting on her hip.

"It was my pleasure, my lady." Mirima replied with a smile once she moved to stand beside her father. Lady Gilraen returned the smile before she turned her attention to her Ranger companion, Uther.

"Lord Elrond is willing to house us and is going to show us to our rooms." Lady Gilraen told him and Uther bowed in recognition of her words and to Lord Elrond to show his respect and gratitude. Lord Elrond nodded his head at this before saying departing words to Lord Erestor and Mirima and then finally walking away with the three humans in tow.

"_Let's go home,_" Lord Erestor suggested and held out the crook of his elbow to his daughter.

"_Yes, father._" She agreed as she took the offered arm with her own. They turned around on their heels and headed the opposite direction to return to their palace.

"_Father, how long will they be staying with Lord Elrond?_" Mirima questioned after a few moments of silence and debating whether or not to ask Lord Erestor without raising any suspicions about the fact that she had a vision concerning the small lord. Her family was wary about her around humans in general, she didn't want them to object to her being around Aragorn. Not when she wanted to get to know the boy better and form that bond with him that she had felt in the premonition. In the end, Mirima's curiosity got the better of her and Lord Erestor hesitated to answer her question briefly.

"_Lord Elrond will house the Lady, her son, and her vassal for as long as they need the protection. Although, you must know that she is renaming her son Estel before the boy gets used to the name of Aragorn. His identity will be withheld from him until she and Lord Elrond think he is old enough to protect himself and is ready to claim his father's legacy. So, do not get too attached to the boy._" Lord Erestor explained to her and Mirima nodded in understanding and to appease her father's hidden worries. To further do so, Mirima changed the topic to her fencing lessons and how he feels about her progress, all the while her mind was wrapped around the vision and how this could relate to the premonition Lady Galadriel had when Mirima was a young elfling in Lothlórien.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey everyone! **

**Here is another chapter and things are getting dramatic. Not soap opera dramatic, but it isn't like the light tension chapters I have written thus far either. However, I hope you enjoy it and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart to the readers who have put this story under favorites and/or alert as well as to those of you who left me a review! This is my response to the one review I have received from the previous chapter. **

**REDRydingHood: Hahahaha you haven't used the word "adore" to describe your feelings towards this story before but I know it was implied when you called it "amazing" previously lol. Yes, I thought a toddler-Aragorn would be adorable. My inspiration was the picture of him when he was little on the wiki page for Aragorn, so cute! Thank you again for another amazing review, I really appreciate it! **

**Now that is out of the way, I have one more thing left to tell you all….**

**My disclaimer is in Chapter 1. **

**Luv, **

**crzychigurl343**

* * *

Chapter 6

It had been 18 years since that initial meeting between Mirima and Aragorn, now Estel. She happily watched as the young lord grew up into a strapping young man, simultaneously answering one of Mirima's many questions in regards to how fast humans grew in comparison to elves. For elves, it took around 50 years before they were full grown whereas it took only humans 20 years if they were from the Dunedain bloodline since it is well known that the Dunedain live longer than the average human. But, it was a fond 18 years for Mirima as she bonded with the child, now man, despite being under the not-so-subtle supervision of her parents and Lord Elrond. She knew they were watching her developing relationship with Estel closely as all four elves wondered how her destiny could be possibly interwoven with the future chieftain. However, Mirima only kept those thoughts in the back of her mind as she went about her daily business these past 18 years.

Instead, she focused on getting to know Estel better. As a child, she would play with him for hours. When he was an adolescent, she would accompany him in his lessons on learning how to become a Ranger from Uther who had decided to stay beside Lady Gilaen's side instead of returning to his Ranger unit. Uther knew that Estel needed to be trained in how to be a proper Ranger if Estel was ever to come out of hiding and become a respected chieftain to the Rangers and Uther was the only teacher Estel was going to get while he is in hiding. Not that Estel knew that he and his mother were living in Rivendell for protection or that he was the long lost chieftain and heir to Isildur. Mirima joined in on this training to satisfy her curiosity as well as to provide herself as an able sparring partner whenever Estel needed one in his various fighting lessons. She was even allowed to finally participate in an orc raid when Estel was 14 and Lord Elrond allowed him, Uther, and Mirima to be a part of Elladan and Elrohir's warden unit for practical experience in the art of tracking and defeating orcs.

During all of this time spent together, Mirima began forming the strong bond that she felt in her vision. Each day, Mirima became a bit closer to Estel and helped shape him into the man from her vision whom she would gladly give her own life to protect. Estel became a confident, young man who was dependable, honest, and compassionate to everyone save his enemies: orcs. He was a human man that Mirima was proud to call friend and that is all Estel was to the elf maiden who was more than ten times his age.

Yes, Estel has grown physically into the younger version of the man from Mirima's vision just with no stubble and he had chin-length, wavy brown hair instead of shoulder length which made Estel an extremely attractive male despite being a human. But, having watched Estel grow up from the precious toddler to the young man he is at the present, Mirima couldn't help but feel more of a familial affection for Estel and not a romantic one. If anything, she still only found herself romantically attracted to Prince Legolas of Mirkwood even though she hasn't seen him for centuries when they were both in Lothlórien, Prince Legolas for his wardens and Mirima for Arwen. However, Mirima could only tell her family that she has no romantic feelings for Estel, omitting her attraction to Prince Legolas, and they still questioned her relationship with Estel every now and then. Elladan, Elrohir, and Lady Míriel could not understand how she could be so close to Estel without there being some romantic inclination to do so while Lord Elrond and Lord Erestor did not question Mirima but still watched her and Estel very closely to come to their own conclusions. But, in the past two months, her whole family's suspicions were quieted upon the arrival of Arwen moving back to Rivendell from Lothlórien.

It was obvious that it was love at first sight for Estel when he, Lady Gilaen, and Uther joined the banquet in honor of Arwen's more permanent residence in Rivendell. He was seated beside Mirima when Arwen entered the dining hall reserved for such large and grand occasions. He, like everyone else in the dining hall, immediately stood up in her presence and watched her walk to her father, Lord Elrond, to be officially welcomed back in front of everyone before she took her seat on his right with her brothers on Lord Elrond's left. Mirima was seated on the other side of Arwen with Mirima's parents seated across from Lord Elrond and Arwen while Lady Gilaen was across from Mirima and Uther was across from Estel. However, Estel continued to sneak open and obvious glances at Arwen whenever he could, which everyone in the immediate area could see much to Mirima's amusement. Estel was mostly speechless or spoke only one to two words at a time whenever the conversation was directed his way, which Mirima made sure to tease him mercilessly the next day when they sparred against one another with their swords. Not that Estel was a normally talkative person, but Estel was very eloquent and could converse easily with anyone whom he pleases, so it was very funny to see him be struck mute by Arwen even though Mirima would admit that her cousin and old friend had grown even more beautiful since they were last together.

Estel's inability to speak that evening and his subsequent interest in anything involving Arwen was not noticed just by Mirima, but by everyone else who has known the young man extensively for the past 18 years. It was clear as day that he was very much infatuated with Arwen and, when Mirima made no objection but delighted humor at his actions, her family had to finally admit that there was no romantic relationship between Mirima and Estel.

However, Mirima noticed that the attraction between Estel and Arwen was not just one-sided. Arwen, as well, showed interest in Estel that first night at the banquet by always redirecting the conversation towards him in order to get to know him better. That was the first indicator for Mirima. The second is when Arwen would watch most of the sparring matches between Estel and Mirima two days after her return and when she was finally told about the close bond between Estel and Mirima. The first time, Mirima would have admitted that Arwen was just curious about how she and Estel sparred with one another. But, after the third and fourth time that Arwen joined them to watch, Mirima's keen eyes noticed that Arwen was watching, specifically, Estel instead of the both of them equally. Why else would Arwen always be there and watch only Estel if she wasn't interested in him as well?

But, both Estel and Arwen were comically oblivious to one another and how they were attracted to one another. Whenever Arwen watched their sparring matches, Estel was too focused on not messing up in front of her, hopefully impressing her instead, that he didn't notice how Arwen's eyes followed him positively and not judgmentally like he originally thought. Arwen, on the other hand, did not realize the pressure she was putting on Estel as she was too focused on trying to hide how charmed she was by the young man.

Naturally, this was a great source of amusement to Mirima as she always tried to get Arwen and Estel to talk to one another. She did this not just to entertain herself, although that was a small factor if she were to be honest with herself, but also to get Arwen and Estel more comfortable with one another through conversing and getting to know one another past the acquaintance level that they were at. Mirima wanted this because whenever Arwen and Estel were around one another, there was this spark between them that could be felt even by Mirima and those around them. This spark that created the feeling that something magical and amazing was going to happen whenever the two were together, a spark that Mirima had only felt around Prince Legolas but never truly explored because of her own cowardliness which she has regretted for centuries now.

Mirima regrets, perhaps not that she didn't proposition herself as a potential lover and spouse to Prince Legolas, although there was some in that respect, but that she didn't try to at least get to know Prince Legolas better and to have become, at least, his friend. Mirima does not want either Estel or Arwen to ever feel this regret, hence why Mirima was getting Estel and Arwen to spend time to talk to one another without fear of propriety whenever Mirima felt that it was the right time. Mirima would like to think that she was partially successful in that, after two months of Arwen's return to Rivendell and a week after Mirima made her decision in helping the two, Arwen and Estel could comfortably talk to one another about other topics such as Elven politics and their perspective childhoods, but nothing too serious or intimate, even though Estel still felt the pressure of Arwen's gaze whenever he sparred and that Arwen was still trying her best to hide her attraction despite always keeping her eyes on him.

Whether or not this will lead to a romantic relationship between Estel and Arwen, Mirima was not sure. It seemed that they only really talked to one another whenever Mirima was around to get them to acknowledge one another past that of a simple nod or greeting. Mirima has never seen Arwen or Estel talk to one another or spend time together whenever she or someone else was not around to create the atmosphere in which Estel and Arwen could converse with one another. It never seems that they sought one another out like they sought out Mirima or she would them. However, Mirima did secretly hope that there was a build-up to a romantic relationship between Estel and Arwen.

Estel was, even at his young age, a good man who would treat Arwen properly and treasure her to the end of his days. Mirima felt this way about Estel even without the reminder of her premonition of his future self and how she felt towards him then. Arwen is probably the only elf that Estel could have a chance to marry since Arwen is half-elven with the choice on whether or not she wishes to live out the rest of her life as an elf by sailing to Valinor or she could decide to join the human realm if she so wishes which is credited to the union of her great-grandparents, Lady Lúthien and Lord Beren. Her father and uncle had the same decision, Lord Elrond remaining as an elf and Lord Elros becoming a human man. Even Elladan and Elrohir will have to make this decision sometime in their life. More importantly though, Arwen would be an ideal spouse for Estel because of her gentle temperament which harmonized with Estel's compassionate and composed nature which results in bringing the best out of one another. They do this even now just with simple conversation so that Mirima couldn't help but project a possible future of them happy as husband and wife.

"_You look unwell, Estel. What is it that ails you?_" Arwen's voice broke Mirima's train of thought and made Mirima stop in the middle of the gardens she was traversing. Mirima was wearing a simple green riding dress over her white chemise which hung close to her lithe body frame, her hair in its usual side braid over her shoulder, and her leather belt on her hips that held the sheaths of her sword and one of her daggers. She was on her way over to Lord Elrond's palace to find Arwen to see if Arwen would like to go on a ride with her, hence why she was cutting through the connecting gardens.

Mirima had stopped in the pathway and looked to find Arwen standing in front of a seated Estel, both in the gazebo and neither had noticed Mirima's presence because of how far away she was but still close enough to overhear them with her enhanced elven hearing. Arwen was in a beautiful red dress that flared out at her hips, her hair half-up and half-down and in loose waves down her back, looking ethereal in such a simple look for her. Estel was wearing a brown doublet over his black breaches and leather boots, no weaponry on him at all, and his brown locks were brushing against his strong jaw-line and masking his face since he was looking down at his clenched fists in his lap.

At Arwen's words, his head shot up to look at her with wide-eyes and clenched jaw that Mirima could see with her enhanced elven eyesight. Estel truly did look stressed and it made Mirima want to join them to figure out what was giving her friend such anxiety. But, something made Mirima stand still, a force that was telling her to not interfere and to just listen and watch from afar. So, Mirima listened to this instinct as she remained rooted to her spot in the gardens, waiting with mounting curiosity.

"_I have learned some distressing news and I have yet to come to grips with it. There is no need for your concern, Lady Arwen, but I thank you for it._" Estel told Arwen and tried to give her a small smile but it was more of a grimace than anything else. He then looked back down at his fists, not his normal amiable self because normally he would have tried to change the topic of conversation, not dismiss the person and, especially, not Arwen.

Arwen crinkled her eyebrows in confusion and worry. She looked at Estel and didn't move for a few seconds before her hands twitched at her sides. Mirima quirked her head to the side as she watched Arwen debate internally on what to do to comfort Estel. From the twitching in her hands at her sides, it seemed that Arwen was struggling over whether or not to reach out to touch Estel. In the end, Arwen raised her hand and placed it on Estel's shoulder, making him look back up at her again with wide eyes. But, this time, his mouth was gaped slightly in surprise as Arwen stared down at him with the same confused and worried look.

"_I have found that one can understand the most difficult of thoughts when one talks it through with a trusted friend. Do you…Would you like it if I called for Mirima?_" Arwen explained and it seemed like she was going to say something else but then changed her mind at the end which made Mirima wonder what Arwen was going to initially say. However, Mirima put that in the back of her mind when she saw Estel shake his head and flinch at her name.

"_Thank you, again, for the sentiment, but I believe that if I were around Mirima than it would make the matter worse._" Estel answered and Mirima frowned along with Arwen, neither maiden knowing why he would feel that way about her. Did she do something wrong? Why wouldn't he have told her and why hadn't she noticed? Mirima clenched her fists this time as anxiety gripped her at the thought of distressing one of her dear friends unintentionally.

"_Why is that?_" Arwen asked and kept her hand on Estel's shoulder. Mirima's hearing sharpened as she focused on the young man she has watched grow up in front of her, whom she befriended, whom she trained with, and whom she was always his support for whenever he was upset and anxious like he was now. It hurt to know that this wasn't the case.

Estel's jaw clenched once more as he looked down in concentration, as if he was debating over whether or not to tell Arwen. The look on his face was very reminiscent of the one that Arwen had earlier, but Mirima could take no amusement in that similarity like she normally would. Instead, she watched with bated breath as Arwen moved her hand from Estel's shoulder to cup his cheek to force him to look at her.

"_Estel, you do not have to discuss this matter with me or anyone else if you do not wish to. But, if you do talk about it with me, I swear to you that none of this shall pass my lips to another nor will your words affect my friendship with Mirima. I will listen to you and I would do my best to provide you with valuable advice if you ask for it. You will never have to fear being alienated by me, Estel._" Arwen spoke from her heart and stroked her thumb across his cheekbone unconsciously. Mirima knew it as unconsciously because the Arwen she knew was never that straightforward and Arwen seemed surprised when she noticed what she did and tried to pull her hand away from Estel's cheek. However, Estel grabbed her wrist to keep her hand where it was against his cheek.

"_It seems that all I can do at the moment is express my gratitude to you, my lady. Your kindness knows no bounds and I am honored that you bestow it upon me._" Estel replied and kissed the palm of her hand that he held to his face. His eyes seemed to lighten, as if Arwen had single-handedly lifted all of his burdens just by offering him her ear. Arwen, too, softened at his statement and action. The intimacy of the moment made Mirima want to avert her eyes. Naturally, Mirima didn't, too curious about this new turn of events between Estel and Arwen as well as to see if Estel would continue and explain why he was upset with her. Arwen, also, waited for Estel to continue, but, this time, cupped his cheek again although she did not stroke her thumb over his cheekbone. Instead, it was Estel who stroked his thumb over the back of the hand he held as the two held each other's gazes and he sighed.

"_My lady, I have learned from your father and my mother that my name is not Estel, it is Aragorn. I am the son to Arathorn, the fifteenth chieftain of the D__únedain, and his heir to the Rangers of the North upon his death when I was just two winters old. Through him I am not only a chieftain but also the long lost king to Gondor and heir to Isildur. It seems that both Lord Elrond and my mother have deemed it fit that I can now be aware of this knowledge and that my education is complete so that I may return to the Rangers to lead them and the rest of the __D__únedain with the added guidance of Uther._" Estel began his explanation and Mirima felt her heart thud hard against her rib cage. If Estel knew all of this, it wasn't that big of a leap to think that he knew about how he got to Rivendell and what role Mirima played in it.

He must be upset with her because she kept his identity a secret from him, let him believe growing up that he was just a normal little boy whom Lord Elrond took in along with his family, that he was making the decision to train as a Ranger under Uther, not that he was going to be forced to learn that skill set either way, and that he could be the master of his own life, going anywhere he pleased with little to no responsibility. Mirima could remember all the endless chats with Estel explaining to her where he wanted to go in Middle Earth, what he wanted to see the most, and what he wanted to learn. She told him that he would see the Middle Earth and that he would get to do all of those things that he told her. Mirima fostered those dreams and hope inside of Estel and, now that Estel knows who he truly is, he must feel crushed under the weight of the responsibilities that await him. It was Mirima who encouraged him and she also knew about his heritage which seemingly contradicted his dreams. Estel must think her cruel for that. Mirima could understand why he would not wish to see her now. Arwen, on the other hand, did not.

"_I do not understand what this has to do with Mirima and your wish to not be in her presence._" Arwen commented as Mirima looked down at her boots in shame and guilt.

"_Because it was Mirima and Lord Erestor who helped escort my mother, myself, and Uther to Rivendell. She knew all along who I was and who I am supposed to become and, yet, she lied to me all of these years, encouraging my hopes and dreams when I would never be able to accomplish them because of my inheritance. How am I supposed to face her after all of that?_" Estel answered and Mirima physically flinched at his words and the mixture of anger and misery in his voice. She did not even want to look back up to see what emotions were laid bare in his facial expression and his eyes.

"_Whose decision was it to keep your identity a secret?_" Arwen questioned and Mirima's heart stopped at that as she finally looked up from her boots to see the surprised look on Estel's face while Arwen remained serene as she gazed back at the young man.

"_Do you know who it was that made the decision that your identity should be hidden? Was it Mirima, was it my father, or was it Lady Gilraen?_" Arwen elaborated when she got no response from Estel.

"_Lord Elrond and my mother said it was their judgment to rename me and to keep my identity secret. They did not mention Mirima except for to say that she and Lord Erestor saved my life when a group of orcs attacked Uther, my mother, and I on our way to Rivendell before escorting us for further protection._" Estel stated after a thoughtful look appeared on his face and Arwen smiled gently at him.

"_Then Mirima, despite intentionally lying to you, was only following the wishes of my father and Lady Gilraen. Can you really be upset with her for obeying orders?_" Arwen replied and unconsciously stroked Estel's cheek once more. Mirima was thankful to her friend for what she was trying to do, but Mirima was not going to have Arwen clean up her mistakes. She needed to speak for herself and to right this situation, hence why she took multiple steps towards the gazebo so that she was within earshot of Estel.

"_He shouldn't be, but he should be upset that I mislead him when he was telling me his hopes and his dreams. I should have curbed them or at least not add to them. I should have reminded myself of who he is and acted accordingly. I'm sorry, Estel, and I am going to make this right._" Mirima finally spoke up when she was at the base of the three steps to the gazebo, effectively startling Arwen and Estel because they were so engross in their moment that they didn't notice her presence or the click of her boots on the paved ground. Arwen's hand dropped from Estel's cheek just as Estel retracted his grip from her wrist and stood up. Normally, Mirima would not have broken such a moment between the two and, if she did, she would have been smiling at them, but not this time.

"_Mirima-_" Estel began to say but she cut him off with a wave of her hand and an apologetic look accompanied her frown as she kept her gaze locked on Estel, the boy she helped raise into a man and whom her destiny was irrevocably tied to.

"_Estel, you will be leaving Rivendell soon with Uther, am I correct?_" Mirima asked and Estel nodded his head, confusion furrowing his brow and making him frown as well.

"_Then, please, stay here and continue to talk to Arwen while you still can. I have to find Uther and talk to him about this._" Mirima explained herself and she turned on her heel to leave the two be when Estel stopped her by calling out to her.

"_What are you going to do? You cannot persuade him to strip my title of chieftain._" Estel exclaimed and took a step around Arwen as Mirima stopped mid-step to look over her shoulder and at him.

"_I know that I cannot, but I can try to at least find a way to accomplish at least one dream you have that I encouraged, for you to traverse Middle Earth and to see its wonders. It is the least that I can do to atone for the injustices I have done towards you. I never meant to hurt you, Estel._" Mirima replied and started to walk away, leaving behind Arwen and Estel in her search for Uther and how she was going to convince him to agree with her. The first part was easy, Uther could be found in a handful of places, all within Lord Elrond's palace, so it will not be difficult to find him. The second part will be challenging to say the least.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello Fellow Fanfiction Readers, **

**I'm back! I'm sorry that I haven't updated regularly like usual, but I ran into some complications. For one, it was writing this chapter because I wanted to make sure everything was realistic and in tune with the characters. Also, I am a college student. I had papers I had to finish writing and finals to study for. But, that is all over with and, now, I have the free time to finish this chapter and write half of the next chapter already. I am hoping to get the next chapter uploaded onto Fanfiction by either tomorrow or by this weekend the latest. **

**Either way, I want to say thank you to everyone who has put this story, or me as an author, under their favorites and/or alerts. I also have a special shout-out to those who left me a review. A/N: I can't believe I got 6 reviews, 6! I am so excited, humbled, and grateful! **

**REDRydingHood: Yeah, I wanted to explore the beginnings of the ArwenXAragorn romance and I am also getting really excited about how close I am to the actual LOTR storyline. To be truthful, this part is getting tricky for me to write because I want to be realistic about how Mirima becomes a Ranger and I am thinking about adding a small chapter or 2 to show Mirima and Aragorn in action as Rangers before the LOTR storyline. But, I am experiencing difficulties in that area as well. I want to do a chapter on how Aragorn and Legolas meet/how they become friends through Mirima. Would you be interested in reading that? Do you think the other readers would as well or should I just go straight to the LOTR storyline once I establish Mirima as a Ranger? Either way, thank you for another review. **

**zZhell-butterflyZz: Thank you for all the kind words/description of my story and I will do my very best to keep up with and, hopefully, exceed the standard I have set so far for myself. **

**wasitjustadream: I promise I will keep going and thanks for the review **

**TheDivines: Wow, thank you so much for this review. It made me extremely happy that you feel this way about my story. I am also extremely honored that my story is the first LOTR fanfic you have read and that it has influenced you to read others. I promise you that there is plenty of amazing LOTR fanfics and I hope you find them as well as enjoy reading them. I just can't help but say thank you again from the bottom of my heart for such a kind review and I promise you that once the LOTR storyline begins, there will be, for sure, major leaps and bounds towards a MirimaXLegolas romance then the slow play I have been writing thus far. **

**Bloody Phantom: Thank you for such a wonderful review! I'm so happy that you wanted to keep reading and hoping that my story didn't stop where it did. And I am also happy that you like the relationship dynamic between Legolas and Mirima. I hope you enjoy this next chapter even though there is no LegolasXMirima action. **

** .ravenclaw: Thank you for the review! I am glad that you are enjoying my story so far! **

**As I replied to REDRydingHood, I realized that I have a question for you all. Would you want me to write an additional chapter or two of Aragorn and Mirima as Rangers, meeting Legolas, before I launch into the LOTR storyline? Or do you just want me to get to the Fellowship straight away? I can write it out either way, but I would love your guys' opinions. So, please leave me a review or send me a PM (it is officially working now for some odd reason) and let me know. **

**Lastly, my disclaimer is in Chapter 1 and I hope you all enjoy this latest chapter. **

**Luv, **

**crzychigurl343**

**P.S. I just saw the Hobbit: the Desolation of Smaug and I would say that it is decent, despite the fact that I believe Peter Jackson should have just made it into one movie, maybe two. Not three. I thought Tauriel was badass even though I was slightly confused on the love triangle she is a part of. Don't worry, I won't reveal any more spoilers, I just wanted to say that I liked Tauriel better than I thought I would. Although, I absolutely loved Smaug and there was plenty of amazing Legolas fight scenes where he does something absolutely ridiculous but somehow still manages to kill 30 orcs at once. Either way, the Desolation of Smaug was better than I expected, but I would still hold off on watching it until it comes out in DVD or you find it somewhere online.**

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Chapter 7

As Mirima predicted, it was not that difficult to locate Uther, Ranger of the North and mentor to Estel. He was located in the sparring room when the weather was not conducive to fencing outside. Uther was wielding a wooden sword as he danced around and struck out at a dummy that moved with the momentum upon being hit. Uther was still rather handsome for his age with thick, but graying, dark hair pulled back in a low ponytail that was slowly becoming loose based on the few strands that managed to free themselves, leather-tanned skin, and pronounced wrinkles around his eyes, forehead, and mouth. Uther was also very fit and deadly by the way he sparred against the dummy. It was not impressive how he blocked and attacked the dummy, but it was the graceful and accurate movements that would impress anyone who watched him, even those who did not have knowledge on how to wield a sword.

"Would you care for a real opponent?" Mirima asked in Westron and made her presence known to Uther, although she highly doubted that he didn't notice her entrance as soon as she opened the door despite not greeting her. Uther immediately straightened from his fighting stance and simultaneously blocked, as well as stopped, the rotating dummy that was about to hit him from behind with its wooden sword as he gazed back at Mirima with a straight face and a subtle sheen from perspiration across his forehead and his cheekbones. Uther knew how to speak Sindarin fluently, however, Mirima spoke Westron with him for practice.

"Only if you do not mind the disadvantage you place yourself in by wearing a riding dress." Uther replied and gestured to her green dress by tilting the tip of his wooden sword up and down. Mirima then removed her leather belt and placed it on the end of the sword rack that held the wooden sparring swords beside the door.

"Better I learn how to overcome this challenge now for if I am ever to be attacked in this state in the future." Mirima stated as she turned back around and walked forward a couple of steps to enter into the ring just as Uther removed the dummy from the center and out of the red circle which marked the area they were supposed to spar in.

"As sensible as ever, my lady." Uther quipped as he moved back into his fighting position with a small twitch to his lips that brought an open smirk to Mirima's as she moved into her own fighting stance.

Most people, upon initially meeting Uther, including Mirima, thought he was a very disapproving man because his natural expression was to frown or to scowl. However, after getting to know the man for 18 years, Mirima and the whole of Rivendell could say that Uther was the exact opposite. He was a very bright man who could easily laugh and enjoy himself; he was just used to scowling and frowning naturally from years of living a rough life. The reason he did not smile at Mirima presently was because he always felt that one should have a straight face when fighting, even if one was sparring. It reminds the person of the seriousness of fencing and it helped mask the thoughts of the person so they cannot telegraph their moves to their opponent.

Mirima and Uther circled one another around the ring before they moved to attack one another. They exchanged and parried each other's blows, both testing and searching for weak points in their defenses while Mirima tried to get the hang of sparring in a dress. Uther fought similarly to her father, Lord Erestor, in that he never gives his sparring opponent a chance to take a breath or to disengage from the fight. He just keeps raining down strategic blows on his opponent to tire them out to the point of admitting defeat or pushing them out of the ring, officially ending the match. Normally, Mirima would just keep up with the pace Uther or her father would set, whenever Lord Erestor could spare the time to spar with her, and never push back. But not this time, she was a maiden on a mission and with some pent up emotions she needed to release, which she was sure that Uther could recognize by how she was on the offense more and put a little more force behind her hits than normal.

"Tell me why you are really here, Mirima. If you wanted to spar, you would have done so in your usual tunic and breeches, not in your riding dress, nor would you have brought your real blade and dagger." Uther questioned after they spun away from one another.

"Lord Elrond and Lady Gilraen decided to tell Estel about his birth right today. He is quite upset about the whole ordeal." Mirima responded before she rushed towards Uther to start up again. Uther blocked and pushed her away before he tried to swipe at her stomach which made Mirima hop back so it barely missed her.

"That is a natural response, but why does it affect you like so?" Uther countered as he took another swipe at her and she moved back again to dodge. The wooden sword would not leave any permanent damage, but Uther did not hold back in putting his weight behind his blows. So, if his hit lands, there is a high probability of there being a bruise as a reminder to be quicker on one's feet in general and, especially, when sparring against Uther.

"He was angry with me for lying to him and for promoting aspirations of travelling Middle Earth when I knew that he would not get the chance to do so since his time will be consumed with being a good chieftain to the Dúnedain once he leaves Rivendell." Mirima explained as she stopped another swipe with her sword, which would have pushed her out of the ring, and spun inward to push Uther away. He stumbled backwards slightly but did not lose his balance as he expertly parried her blow that was about to come down on his shoulder to further unbalance him.

"Again, that is very understandable. So, you are here to work out your frustrations and I am just your lucky, or rather unlucky, opponent." Uther joked through gritted teeth as he straightened back up and pushed her away this time. Mirima nearly tripped on the back of her riding dress. But, she was able to correct herself in time as she ducked under Uther's extended sword, which had swung out to hit her across the cheek.

"No, I came here to talk to you specifically about Estel's plight. This spar is just an added bonus." Mirima replied with a brilliant smile as she, once more, launched into the offensive by jumping up and towards Uther. Uther's neutral expression turned into a scowl at her words.

"He is our next chieftain, Mirima. The Dúnedain will have no other and will need his leadership. You cannot change that." Uther told her as their wooden swords clashed against one another with dull thuds.

"I am not trying to; I have come with a different proposition in mind." She replied as she caught his flying fist and used that momentum to push herself away and out his arm's length, but not his sword's length.

"Enlighten me," Uther ordered as he followed her movement with the extension of his sword, which she blocked easily.

"Do not make him sole chieftain straight away. Share the leadership with him until he is ready. A regent of sorts, if you will." Mirima answered as she and Uther circled each other once more, revaluating their strategies mentally, but still had their eyes trained on their opponent to make sure the other won't catch them unawares.

"No, the Rangers would never accept that." Uther stated as they circled and added a shake of his head for further emphasis.

The Dúnedain were the inhabitants of the land known as Eriador, home to the old Arnor kingdom which has long since dissolved due to civil war. This break-up of the Arnor kingdom resulted in the eventual formation of the Rangers of the North who protected the survivors of the civil war, the Dúnedain and the Half-lings, and it was the Rangers who preserved the royal line of the Arnor kings, the descendants of Isildur, in their hierarchy. It was the Rangers who provided the law and order in Eriador and they would obey no one but their chieftain whom belonged to the same line that Estel was born into.

"So the Rangers will accept an incompetent and miserable leader over a temporary and, hopefully, harmonious co-reign?" Mirima countered with a lifted eyebrow after they completed the full circle. But, neither person moved from their spots even though their swords were still held in front of their bodies in preparation for attack.

"You think Estel is incompetent?" Uther retorted and Mirima let out a ragged sigh in regards to the fact that it was those words he took away from her argument.

"No, but he has not lived as a Ranger. He does not know what they want and what they need as well as the difference between those statements. He does not know their strengths and he does not know the terrain past referential maps like you or the other Rangers do. He, also, does not have the respect of the Rangers like you do." Mirima began to explain herself but Uther cut her off as he ran forward to engage her.

"The Rangers will obey his orders." Uther insisted as Mirima parried his blow.

"They may obey his orders, but that doesn't mean that they will respect them if they do not understand them. He needs to work his way through their ranks and he needs to gain worldly perspective through travelling, which he will not get if he is tied down to the stationary position of chieftain." Mirima rebutted as they danced around one another, exchanging hits and swipes that the other blocked. They were both verbally and physically fighting to demonstrate their adamant feelings behind their point of views about Estel's position.

"He is our chieftain. I can agree to the idea that he needs to live as a Ranger to gain experience, but I do not understand the argument of gaining worldly perspective. He needs to focus on Eriador and its people as their chieftain." Uther replied and actually managed to hit Mirima's shoulder due to the fact that she stumbled slightly from stepping on the back of her riding dress. Mirima bit her lip to conceal the hiss of pain lodged in the back of her throat as she turned and used her un-injured shoulder to push Uther away.

"Because he isn't just the Ranger's chief, he is Isildur's heir and future king of Gondor." Mirima answered after Uther stopped moving backwards from the force of her push. Her response seemed to force Uther to pause in surprise as he did not rush back to her like he normally would have once he regained his balance.

"I have seen it, Uther. I have seen the Great White Tree of Gondor be reborn and I know that it will be Estel who restores the two kingdoms as one, just like it was during the time of Isildur and his forefathers. However, he will surpass his predecessors because it will be Estel who will usher in the era of Men." Mirima told Uther flat out the premonitions she has seen and her interpretation of them. She only left out the detail about her part in all of it. Uther continued to stare at her in open surprise as he tried to process the information she gave him.

"Knowing this, will you agree with me that Estel needs to travel Middle Earth, that he needs to learn how different and similar each region is, and that he needs to learn how accept these differences as well as how to use these similarities to create a peaceful kingdom that humans can flourish in." Mirima questioned seriously as she stood on the other side of the ring a couple of arm's lengths away from Uther. But, Uther just scowled back at her.

"Even if what you say is true, Estel is first, and foremost, our chieftain. Eriador has waited one and eight years for him, they should not have to wait for him any longer as he runs across Middle Earth doing as he pleases in the front of pursuing knowledge." Uther scornfully stated as he moved to start sparring once more, if one could still call it that now due to the mounting tension between Mirima and Uther. Mirima gritted her teeth behind the added force behind Uther's attacks and hissed at his obstinacy at the moment.

"I am not arguing that, Uther. I am saying that Estel should first live as a lowly Ranger, earning the respect and knowledge of his fellow Rangers, with you as his co-chieftain, so that the Rangers do have some leadership. After that, he should be allowed to travel if the opportunity allows it, not just on a whim." Mirima defended herself. She understood that Estel has a responsibility to the occupants of Eriador and to the Rangers specifically. She also understood that a leader cannot just abandon his position for a period of time without someone to lead in his stead and without reasonable justification. She was well over 2,000 years old; she knew all of this through centuries of education and some participation in politics.

"I'm glad to hear you fully understand all the different aspects of leadership and the ideals. But, if Estel truly is Isildur's heir, the one to restore the old kingdom, and to start a new era for Men to rule, wouldn't it be safer for him to stay within Eriador's borders where he will have the full protection of the Rangers? Who will protect him when travels?" Uther was relentless in his pursuit of defeating Mirima, both in a spar of wits and swordsmanship. However, Mirima was going to be just as relentless as well to prove her point as she met Uther's attack's blow for blow.

Mirima was jarred every time their wooden swords connected because of the strength each person was putting behind their blades. But, Mirima did not let the jolt slow her down or stop her from focusing as she gritted her teeth again and continued to fight through the feeling. She needed to prove another point to Uther and she won't be able to do so if she lost to him. It was win or fail for Estel and Mirima was not going to let that happen. So, Mirima ducked under Uther's sword, which had come swinging at her head this time, and, instead of popping back up like usual, she swiped out, intentionally missing Uther's legs, until her sword was extended out and to the side, before she swung once more and aimed to hit Uther behind his knee. When her hit landed, Uther's knee buckled under the pressure and unbalanced him like she had planned. Uther's lower half moved forward with his knee while his top half fell backwards. Mirima stood straight up, this time, and raised her sword arm before bending it so that her elbow hit Uther in the solar plexus, officially forcing him to fall to the ground and get the wind knocked out of him. When Uther landed with his legs crumpled beneath his body and his arms splayed out, Mirima disarmed him by kicking his sword out of his hand and out of the ring.

Mirima did not put her foot on him, he could easily grab her leg and throw her off if she were to do so, nor did she even place the tip of her wooden sword close to his body. She simply readjusted her grip before moving to aim the tip of her sword at Uther, but not within Uther's reach to knock out of her hand. She was prepared for him if he chose to continue to fight. But, Uther just laid there and tried to gather his breath as he looked up at the ceiling. This was the perfect time to drive her point home.

"I will protect Estel. I will fight with every fiber of my being to protect him, just as I have demonstrated to you." Mirima stated firmly and kept her eyes locked on Uther. The Ranger simply looked back at her as he breathed heavily, studying her. Mirima did not know what he was looking for or what he was seeing, but she remained standing, pointing her sword at him, and kept a serious expression on her face. She waited patiently for Uther's next move, whether he was going to continue to fight her or not, and did not get her answer after what felt like an eternity of waiting to Mirima and that says something to an elf.

"You claim you will protect him, but how will you do that as a Lady of Rivendell?" Uther calmly asked once his breathing evened out a little. He was frowning at Mirima, but she figured that it was more of his natural expression instead of him being actually upset with her like he was earlier ago.

"I will ask for permission to leave Rivendell and I will become a Ranger with Estel. I will never leave his side until his destiny has been fulfilled. That is my destiny." Mirima replied, maintaining her serious expression even though her mind was in a flurry, as if a strong gale of wind swept one idea one direction before the idea was hit by another strong wind which pushed it the opposite direction. Once more, Uther remained silent and frowning as he studied her, probably trying to figure out her state of mind and if she truly believes that it is her destiny to protect Estel and how she planned on doing it.

"Mirima, it is admirable that you want to give up your life here in Rivendell for Estel to achieve his destiny and to insure his happiness. But, I must warn you that what you are proposing is going to be a terrible burden. You will have to convince you parents and Lord Elrond to agree with you, you will be separated from your family for an indeterminable amount of time without a way to contact them most of the time, if they still wish to speak to you, and you will have to undergo the excruciating life of a Ranger with the stigma of being a woman. The Rangers will challenge you and may not ever accept or respect you. On your travels, men and orcs will target you first because you are a woman and will believe that you are the weakest. When you walk through villages and towns, after getting over the initial shock of seeing an elf, people will look down upon you because you are a female trying to be a Ranger. You will certainly face the threat and danger of death as well as gain injuries, some that might even cripple you. Until the time of Estel becoming King, you will not be able to fall in love, get married, and have a few children. You will no longer lead a lady's, or even, woman's life. Those are some of the situations I can think of at this moment that you will certainly have to face if you are to continue with this plan of action and I am sure that I have missed a few more as well as there will be situations that not even I could consider or could come up with. Are you certain that this is what you want, Mirima?" Uther explained seriously, frown still in place but deepened slightly from describing the difficulties that lay ahead for Mirima. With each scenario Uther spun for her, Mirima's mind simulated it so that she could imagine it. As she did so, she tried to think of how she would react and how she would deal with them.

What Uther proposed was entirely true and would most likely happen. It will be difficult to convince Lord Elrond and, especially, her parents to let Mirima leave Rivendell to become a Ranger for however long she needed to be to help Estel become the man Illuvatar has destined him to be. This might lead to her being exiled from Rivendell and disowned by her family, which Mirima certainly doesn't to happen most of all. She was fine with leaving them and possibly never seeing them again from dying prematurely. But, could she really leave and live as a Ranger, facing death and other threats every day, knowing that her family was upset and disappointed with her? Lord Elrond, Lord Erestor, and Lady Miriel will definitely sail to Valinor one day, where they will live until the end of time. If they were to do so while harboring resentment and anger towards Mirima, she would positively die. If she were to include Arwen, Elrohir, and Elladan, then Mirima would die twice. These six people were her family and she just wanted them to be happy and to be happy with her, like she did with Estel. So, if they were to disown her, then Mirima wouldn't know what to do. She surely couldn't be a Ranger; she wouldn't have the will to live like her uncle, Lord Maedhros, and would commit suicide.

That was her foremost concern out of everything Uther brought up. Mirima could handle not having the acceptance or respect of the Rangers or normal humans so long as she has the acceptance and respect of her family. She could handle being placed in dangerous situations where her life could end whether through actual death or just being maimed to the point that she could no longer fight. She could handle being targeted and stigmatized as a woman. She could handle the idea of being forbidden to fall in love, get married, or have children. Well, that last one stung a little, but she was still willing to give that up since she has yet to meet anyone whom she even remotely considered as a potential lover and spouse other than Prince Legolas. However, Mirima highly doubted that Prince Legolas was not married by now. What maiden would say no to him? But, she wasn't going to dwell on that thought since none of these burdens came close to her anxiety over losing her family.

However, Mirima could not forget her premonitions about her own future and destiny. She could not forget how her destiny was linked to Estel's. She could not forget seeing the awe-inspiring rebirth of the Great White Tree of Gondor nor her saving the life of an older Estel from falling into the rapids at an unknown location. Could she really turn away from that destiny and possibly let Estel die in the process just so that she could have the love of her family? Could she really be that selfish?

"Uther, I thank you for your perspective. You have brought up valid concerns. Many of which I had not fully given thought to like I should have. However, I remain intent on following Estel and becoming a Ranger if I must do so to protect him and to make sure that his best interests are kept at heart. No matter the cost." Mirima ended solemnly as she finally lowered her wooden sword and relaxed her body so that she was no longer so rigid, tensed up to defend herself if Uther had made any sudden movements. Both Mirima and Uther knew that one half of their spar was over, the physical part that is. So there was no need to be on guard for a tangible attack from Uther. However, their spar of wits in regards to Estel's future as a Ranger was not over. It was nearing the end though based on the fact that Uther heaved a large sigh in response to Mirima's statement and then pushed himself to sit up properly.

"Even though I disagree with the idea of you becoming a Ranger, I have a feeling that it will fall on deaf ears and you will follow us anyways." Uther replied and Mirima struggled not to smirk, although she could feel the corner of her lips twitching.

"But, I want you to gain the permission of Lord Elrond and your parents. When you have done so, come back to me and I will provide you with a list of equipment you shall need." Uther continued and Mirima allowed herself to smile this time as she nodded her head in appreciation.

"I shall do so now. Thank you, Uther." Mirima stated as she stepped forward and held her hand out to him. Uther just returned her nod with his own and accepted her hand to help him stand back up. There were no further words exchanged between Mirima and Uther as she stepped away from him and turned on her heels to return the wooden sparring sword to its rightful spot and reattached the belt to her hips. Mirima didn't turn to look back at Uther once as she walked out of the sparring room even though she knew that Uther was watching her from his spot in the middle of the sparring ring. She didn't do so because she was left, once more, trying to prepare herself for a challenging conversation. However, this one was going to be more difficult for her since she will have to convince Lord Elrond, her father, and her mother to agree with her without losing their love or disappointing them. This will, undoubtedly, be the hardest and most difficult situation Mirima will ever have to face.

* * *

**P.P.S. I promise that the next chapter is the one where Mirima officially becomes a Ranger. But will she lose the love of her family like she fears? **


End file.
